The Weight of the Crown
by InvisiblePrincess2002
Summary: AU. When seventeen-year-old Jo Polniaczek from the Bronx actually finds out that she was born into royalty, her whole world is turned upside down, and she must make some challenging decisions.
1. Jo's True Identity

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the NBC television series _The Facts of Life_, which as far as I know, is the property of Embassy Television, Columbia Pictures Television, and Sony Pictures Television **No infringement is intended. **I also want to point out that this story was inspired by the movies _The Princess Diaries _and _The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement_, both of which are based on the novel _The Princess Diaries_ by Meg Cabot.

**Chapter 1: Jo's True Identity**

It was the evening of November 1, 1982, a cold Monday night, when Jo Polniaczek's entire world was turned upside down and inside out. For seventeen and a half years, the young girl had been confident that she knew who she really was. She was a Bronx barbarian, born and bred, and she was proud of it. She was a motorcycle rider. A fine mechanic. A hopeless tomboy. A brilliant student at the Eastland School for Girls. A fighter. She'd endured things no kid her age ever should have had to face. She'd watched a friend commit suicide in her grammar school. Her father abandoned her at an early age and then pulled a stupid stunt and landed himself in the penitentiary. With her mother working all hours, she'd had no one but her friends in a street gang to talk to. When Jo started getting wrapped up in gang life, her mother quickly pulled the plug on that and after applying for a scholarship, Rose Polniaczek enrolled her daughter into an all-girls boarding school in the sweet little town of Peekskill. But even though Jo did amazingly well with the new family she found at Eastland, she still stuck out like a sore thumb there because she was not at all a typical "preppie." While her three roommates, Blair Warner, Natalie Green, and Tootie Ramsey all had a kind of innocence about them, Jo was far beyond their naïveté. Given everything she had endured throughout her young life, she was tougher and wiser than the others, and when their guardian at Eastland, school nutritionist Mrs. Edna Garrett, wasn't around, Jo was really the one all the girls looked to for leadership – even the wealthy, spoiled Blair (although Blair would never actually admit it.) Jo was strong. Jo was proud. Jo was independent, and most importantly, she was a survivor, and she knew that. But when her parents suddenly came up to Eastland that unforgettable evening with a man she'd never seen before, and they asked to talk with her and Mrs. Garrett alone in the lounge, everything about Jo's life and identity was shaken to its core.

It was about seven o'clock when Charlie and Rose Polniaczek and an unnamed man walked into the Eastland cafeteria. Mrs. Garrett and the girls had just finished cleaning up after supper a few minutes ago, and as requested, Blair took Natalie and Tootie out to the theater to see a movie so that Jo could visit with her parents alone. Rose had called the school earlier that day and spoken to Mrs. Garrett about it, so Mrs. G. had made sure that the coast was clear by the time Jo's parents arrived so they could have some privacy for their visit.

A couple of moments after they came inside, Jo and Mrs. Garrett came out of the kitchen, and as soon as Jo saw her parents, she smiled and gave them both a hug. Meanwhile, the man who'd arrived with Jo's parents simply couldn't take his eyes off Jo, although she didn't see that he was keenly watching her.

"Hi, Ma. Pop. How ya doin'?"

"We're okay, Jo," Rose said nervously. "How have you been?"

"Great," Jo answered matter-of-factly.

"Good to see you, Mrs. Garrett," Charlie said to Edna.

"And it's wonderful to see you again too, Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek," Edna said while shaking hands with them. And then she looked up at the tall, handsome man with dark hair, green eyes, and a beard, and she asked, "And you are?"

"Oh, uh, this is…an old friend of the family," Charlie responded, sounding every bit as nervous as his ex-wife. "His name is…"

"Call me John," he said in a friendly tone, and Mrs. Garrett smiled and shook his head.

"Alright, John. Welcome to Eastland," she told him. It was then that Edna began to notice the expensive suit and watch he was wearing, and she realized then that something odd was going on. Charlie and Rose Polniaczek had always lived paycheck to paycheck, so to say the least, it was pretty unusual that they'd have a friend of the family who was so obviously well-to-do. On top of that, she just couldn't get over the nagging feeling that she'd seen him somewhere before.

"Thank you. You have a beautiful school here. I've heard a lot of great things about it from Charlie and Rose and I've always wanted to see it," he said kindly.

"Well, perhaps while Jo is visiting with her parents, I can give you the grand tour," Mrs. Garrett suggested.

"Actually, the three of us need to speak with Jo," Charlie interjected.

"However, we'd really appreciate it if you'd stay too, Mrs. Garrett," Rose added. "We have something terribly important that we all need to discuss with Jo, but I think you should hear it, too. You've been a very big part of Jo's life these past two years and in some ways, you've been just as much a parent to Jo as we have. I think it's only fair for you to be here now."

"Of course," Mrs. Garrett agreed. "Let's all go into the lounge and sit down, shall we?"

"Lead the way, Mrs. G.," said Jo, and then they all followed her into the lounge. Jo sat down on the big loveseat with her parents, and Mrs. Garrett sat down in the living chair to Jo's right, and John sat down in the other chair across the coffee table from her.

It was in that moment that it clicked in Mrs. Garrett's mind, and before Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek could begin talking to their daughter, Mrs. Garrett suddenly cried out, "Now I know who you are! Oh, no, wait. It couldn't be. Oh, but I could swear you look exactly like him!"

He gave Edna an understanding smile and asked her, "Who do I look like?"

"I know how silly this is going to sound, but I was going to say you look like the Prince of Momi," Edna sheepishly replied.

Much to her surprise, however, John announced, "You're quite correct."

"Mrs. Garrett, Jo, you are officially speaking to His Serene Highness John Augustus I, Sovereign Prince of Momi," Rose informed them.

"Oh, wow," Mrs. Garrett gasped. "Your Highness, I must say, it's quite an honor."

"The honor is all mine. Believe me."

"Isn't Momi that tiny island that's located about halfway between Hawaii and California?" Jo inquired.

"Indeed it is," said Prince John.

"Ma…Pop…how do you two know the Prince of Momi?" asked Jo.

"Forgive me, ladies," Prince John interjected before Charlie and Rose could answer their daughter's question. "I realize this must seem strange and awkward. My presence here is a very long story, and I must ask for your patience. If you'll bear with me, things will eventually make some sense after I've explained the entire situation."

"Alright by me," said Jo. She then looked over at Prince John and said, "Lucy, start 'splainin'."

Prince John, Mrs. Garrett, and Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek all chuckled a bit at Jo's rather blunt sense of humor, and then Prince John said, "I certainly shall. Jo, there was a man back in the late 1700s whose original name was Frederick Konopka. He was a very wealthy count in Poland, a prominent member of Polish high society, but he had a lot of bad habits. According to some historical sources, he was an alcoholic and a gambler, and it was a well-known fact that he was a womanizer and that he fathered at least two illegitimate sons. Because of his ongoing bad behavior, he was eventually kicked out of the royal court in Poland and lost his standing in Polish high society. However, he was still incredibly wealthy, and he had traveled throughout most of the world. Once as a boy, he spent some time on a tiny island in the Pacific where only about two hundred people lived, and he fell in love with it. After his banishment from high society in his home country, he used some of his great wealth and financed an army of his own, and he came back to the island, conquered it, and took over. Since he was no longer a Polish count, he decided he would have his own country and declare himself a king, and that's just what he did. He worked with the tiny population there and gave many of them prominent places in the new government he and his personal army established. The people understandably didn't like him very much for just barging in and taking over, but he did eventually win their political support, and he established and ruled the small nation of Momi in 1790 and assumed the title of King Frederick Augustus I, and the Royal House of Konopka was officially established. Most of the natives of the island had migrated there from the Hawaiian islands, and they were the ones who had given the island its name long before Frederick Konopka arrived. They called it Momi, which is Hawaiian for pearl. And when he was setting up his new government, he divided the island into eight territories, each consisting of two or three tiny villages, and he put a few of the natives in charge of a territory or village and allowed the Momians to name each one. Today, all of Momi's eight territories and modern-day cities have Hawaiian names. When Frederick took over, he wrote constantly to the wealthy friends he still had back in Poland about Momi's incredible beauty, and it wasn't long before people in Poland and much of Europe took notice and started moving there. In later years, wealthy Americans also came to live on the island. Today, Momi is a real melting pot, just like America. Its population is comprised of a mix of Pacific Islanders and people of European and African descent, although the majority of the population is now of Polish descent.

"When Frederick Konopka took over in the late 1700s, the new country of America wasn't particularly interested in the tiny new nation of Momi. However, the individual governments of each of the Hawaiian islands wanted very much for Momi to join them. When several of the Hawaiian islands unified in 1795 and became the Kingdom of Hawaii, their government was more interested in Momi than ever. In 1810, after all of the Hawaiian islands became unified, the Hawaiian kingdom tried unsuccessfully over the next year to convince Frederick Konopka and the Momian government to become part of Hawaii. Finally, in November of 1811, they came to an agreement. Frederick Konopka and the tiny young nation of Momi agreed to become a principality of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and the former King Frederick Augustus I gave up his title. The Hawaiian king then granted him the title of Prince Albert I, although he also came to be known as Prince Albert the Bold, and he continued to rule Momi until his death in 1830.

"Prince Albert was succeeded by his oldest legitimate son, Prince Henry I, who reigned for fifty-two years. In 1882, his only son, Prince Louis I, took over, and he reigned until 1919, when he died at the age of eighty-six. It was during his reign that the Kingdom of Hawaii was annexed by the United States, and I'm sure you all know that when that happened in 1898, the Momian government, headed by Prince Louis I, reached a formal agreement with America. The United States officially recognized our sovereignty as a nation and declared that we would always remain a principality, even though Hawaii had become a republic. In addition, from that point on, America officially assumed responsibility for Momi's defense. To this day, Momi is protected by the U.S. military. It's quite similar to the agreement between the Principality of Monaco and France.

"Prince Louis was a fine ruler, and in addition to negotiating this important agreement with the United States, he made another important change. During the last years of his life, our country faced a royal succession crisis as Prince Louis and his wife, Princess Maria, had four daughters but no sons. Until that point in time, only sons could inherit the throne. However, months before his death, Prince Louis changed the law, making it possible for a princess to rule. In 1919, his oldest daughter, Princess Alexandra I, became the first woman to rule our nation, and she did an exemplary job. She established our unicameral Parliament, and for the first time, there was truly a system of checks and balances in our government. The sovereign did still wield a lot of power – and does to this day – but it is thanks to her efforts that there is some form of democracy in our government."

"All of this is very interesting, but what does it have to do with me and my folks?" asked Jo.

"I'm getting to that," Prince John responded. "Princess Alexandra I was also the very first ruler of Momi to abdicate the throne," he continued. "In 1940, she abdicated in favor of her son, Prince Frederick Augustus I, at age eighty-two. She lived to be ninety-seven. As all of you may have guessed by now, Princess Alexandra I was my great-grandmother. Prince Frederick Augustus I, my grandfather, was fifty-five when he took the throne, and he reigned until he died of a sudden heart attack ten years later in 1950. Then his only child, his daughter Anne, ascended the throne at age thirty-five. She chose to honor her grandmother, and for her regnal name, she chose to call herself Princess Alexandra II, and she ruled until her untimely death in a car crash in 1971. It was then that I, the older of her two sons, ascended the throne according to our law and customs. I've been on the throne ever since.

"I was ten years-old when my mother became the ruler of our country. I'd always known I was royalty, but I don't think I really began to understand the burden of expectations that were being placed on my mother's shoulders, and on my shoulders, until that happened. For much of my youth, I tried hard to run from my duties. I was scared. I did foolish things. And when I was eighteen, I did the unthinkable. I got a girl pregnant, and had a baby with her out of wedlock. A son named Stephen. I wanted very much to marry her, but my parents simply wouldn't allow it. She was a common girl, after all, and they would never have stood for the Prince of Momi marrying an untitled, middle-class commoner. However, the girl, whose name is Alice Kowalski, comes from a very power-hungry family, and when my mother officially refused to grant me permission to marry Alice and to grant my son a title, they went ballistic. They actually tried to send a bomb to our palace once; they made constant threats to my family and me, although to this day, I am convinced that Alice had nothing to do with it. But, I digress. When I was twenty-one and had graduated from college, I did what was expected of me, and I married a young lady of nobility, the Lady Rose Alden. Four years later, my wife gave birth to twins, a boy, Henry, and a girl, Anne. However, the birth was terribly difficult, and things ended in tragedy. The babies had to be delivered via C-section, and as a result of the surgery, Rose developed blood clots that traveled to her lungs, and a day after the children were born, she died."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Edna said softly.

"Thank you. I'm sorry as well, but it was a long time ago."

"How old are your kids now?" asked Jo.

"When Henry and Anne were a month old, Alice's four older brothers, along with many other hoodlums, managed to break into the palace and get past the guards. They broke into the nursery, and before they were finally stopped by the rest of our security staff, one of them grabbed Henry and smothered him to death."

"That's terrible," Edna gasped.

"It certainly is. And had the rest of the guards not gotten to them when they did that night, they would have murdered my daughter as well. It was then that I made the most difficult and painful decision of my life. I knew from that moment on that no matter how much security we had in our palace, my daughter would never be safe as long as she was anywhere on the island of Momi. I knew Alice had other family members who were just as vicious as her brothers, and that they and my other political enemies, who were equally cruel, would not stop until both of my babies were gone. If Alice's family succeeded in getting both of my children out of the way, they would never stop fighting until they got Stephen on the throne so that they could rule Momi through him. Other political opponents of mine, whom I will not discuss this evening, would undoubtedly have done the same in the hopes of getting my daughter out of the way so that they could assume the throne themselves in the future. So, I did the only thing I could do, for my child and my country. I sent her away to be raised by a family in America. I released an official statement to the Momian and American press, saying that both Prince Henry and Princess Anne had been killed by the intruders. I did that, of course, so that no one would know where Anne really was. Afterwards, my personal assistant did some thorough research and got in touch with a young married couple in New York who were unable to have children of their own, and were trying very hard to adopt a child."

"Thank you," Charlie chimed in. "Thank you, Prince John. Rose and I will take it from here."

In that moment, Rose Polniaczek took her daughter's hand in hers, looked into her eyes, and told her, "Jo, you know that your father and I love you more than anything in this world."

"I know," Jo said with a sense of dread as she began to get some idea of what was coming next.

Charlie then put a loving hand on Jo's upper back, and she turned her head towards her father and locked eyes with him. "That's right, sweetheart," Charlie agreed. "Your mom and I…we'd do anything for you. I know I've failed you before. I know I've made some horrible mistakes in the past, but Jo, I have never stopped loving you. You always have been and you always will be my little girl, Joanna Marie. Always. No matter what."

"I know that, Pop."

"Jo," said Rose, and then Jo turned her head towards her mother once again. "Jo, honey, no matter what, you will _always _be our daughter. You will _always_ be related to your father and me by the one thing in life that matters most: love. However…you are not related to us by blood. As hard as this is to say…Jo, Charlie and I…we're not your biological parents."

"What?" Jo gasped in disbelief.

"I never told you about this, Jo, but a couple of years before your father and I got married, I learned that I had uterine cancer, and I had to have a hysterectomy. Ever since then, obviously, it's been impossible for me to ever have a baby the natural way."

"And when Rosie and I were first married, there was nothing in life we wanted more than to have a child in our lives. We spoke to countless people. We spoke to one adoption agency after another, but we just couldn't get approval. We didn't make enough money, and there was no way we could afford to hire some fancy, uptown lawyer to make it happen for us."

"A woman that we spoke to at one agency, Rita Harlow, felt sorry for us," Rose added. "That's why when her agency was contacted by Prince John's people, she spoke to them about us."

"It was never my original plan to allow my daughter to be raised in a poorer neighborhood in the Bronx," Prince John chimed in as Jo let out a frustrated sigh. She could not _believe _what she was hearing! "I had decided right from the very beginning that I didn't want my child to be raised by, to put it bluntly, a couple of rich, obnoxious snobs. The last thing I wanted was for my daughter to grow up to be an immature, petty, spoiled little brat without any true character. So I decided that I would have her placed with a middle-class family, in a good neighborhood where she would be safe. However, when my people contacted the agency where Ms. Harlow worked, she put tremendous effort into convincing them – and me – to allow Charlie and Rose to raise my baby. Again, it was an unbelievably difficult decision, but as I thought about it, I realized that even though putting my daughter in the Bronx with Charlie and Rose would cause her to have a much more difficult life, it would in fact be the best thing for her. Jo, all throughout my life, I was constantly given the best of everything. I never had to do without. I never had to struggle. I was never denied anything until my mother refused to allow me to marry Alice. And because I'd always had it so easy, for a long time, I was nothing but an obnoxious two-year-old living in the body of a young adult. Had I ascended the throne at that stage in my life, there's no telling the damage I would have done to my country. I wanted to give my daughter a good life; I wanted her to be safe and happy, but I also wanted her to have the inner-strength, wisdom, and courage to rule when the time came. I wanted her to grow up to be a mature person, with integrity and empathy for others, particularly the less fortunate. Not the spoiled two-year-old that I used to be."

Jo then locked her young green eyes with the older, kind green eyes of Prince John and inquired, "So you're sayin' that…biologically, at least…_you _are my father?"

Prince John held her gaze with his eyes and told her truthfully, "That's exactly what Charlie, Rose, and I are saying. I came to New York when you were two and a half months old. I sat down with Charlie and Rose and had a very long talk with them, and we came to an agreement. We agreed that I would allow the Polniaczeks to love you and raise you as their own until it got closer to your eighteenth birthday, at which time, we would sit down with you and tell you the truth about who you really are. And I also agreed that I would personally assume responsibility for your safety. I know you're not aware of this, Jo, but you've been surrounded by undercover bodyguards your whole life, keeping you safe as you were growing up in the Bronx. In turn, Charlie and Rose agreed that they would never challenge me in court for legal custody of you, and they agreed that if ever a truly important decision needed to be made regarding your welfare, _I _would always have the last word. You should know, Jo, that it was never Rose's decision to send you to Eastland. _It was mine. _Your adoptive parents and the school always made it _look _like you were a scholarship student, but you never were. I have always paid for everything. When Rose contacted me over two years ago and informed me that you were having problems and getting into trouble in your home neighborhood, I decided that it would be in your best interests for you to grow up in a more stable environment, which Mrs. Garrett has clearly provided for you."

"So you're sayin' I'm not a scholarship student? You're sayin' I'm not Bronx barbarian Joanna Marie Polniaczek? You're sayin' I'm not the person I thought I was _for over seventeen years_?"

"I know it's hard to hear, my dear, but that _is _correct," Prince John told her. "You were raised as Joanna Marie Polniaczek from the Bronx, but in reality, that's not who you are. You're not a Bronx barbarian. You're a princess. To be more precise, you are properly addressed as Her Serene Highness Anne Alexandra Rose, Princess of Momi."

"So you're all tellin' me that, basically, I've been lied to my whole life by the people I trusted the most," Jo said in disgust as she rose to her feet. "You're tellin' me that my whole life and my whole identity is nothing but one giant lie!" Then turning to her parents, she yelled, "I can't believe the two of you would betray me like this!"

"Now, now, Jo, just take a deep breath and calm down," said Mrs. Garrett after she and all the other adults had risen as well.

"How _calm _would _you _be, Mrs. Garrett, if you just found out that your parents have done nothing but lie to you your entire life?!" Jo asked furiously, and then she turned to Prince John. "And as for you, _Your Royal Highness_," she said with blatant sarcasm, "I've got news for you. Whether you like it or not, _I am _Joanna Marie Polniaczek from the Bronx, and that's the way it's gonna stay! I'm not gonna let you just waltz up in here and change up my entire life and try to turn me into some kind of silly little princess, so you can just forget it! I'm outta here!"

And with that, she shot out the back door like a bullet from a gun and tore out of the Eastland campus on her motorcycle.

* * *

It was half past eleven before Jo finally returned to Eastland, and while Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek had already left to check into a nearby hotel, Prince John was still waiting up for her along with Mrs. Garrett.

As soon as Jo walked into the cafeteria and saw the two of them sitting together at table, she angrily spat out, "What are _you _still doin' here?"

"Jo!" Mrs. Garrett scolded, and then they both stood.

"Jo, I understand that you're angry, and I don't blame you," Prince John patiently responded. "If the tables were turned, I would be angry, too. You've been lied to for seventeen years. I understand why you would feel hurt, angry, and betrayed. You have every right to feel that way. But as both a father and a ruler, I had to do what I believed was best, and if I had it to do over again, I would make the same decisions."

"You're not my father!" Jo yelled. "I barely even know you!"

"But _I _know _you. _Your adoptive parents wrote me about you constantly as you were growing up. I know that even when you were little, you were always first in your class. I know your teachers loved you. In her letters, your mother told me all about Vidal Sassoon night. She told me how, when you were little, you tried to pretend not to be afraid of the dark, but you always kept a flashlight hidden in your room that you'd turn on at night. She told me all about Eddie and how you practically eloped with him last year. She told me how much you love your motorcycle and how much you love being a mechanic. She told me that, once again, you're at the top of your class here at Eastland. She told me what a brilliant, strong young woman you are and how very proud she is of you, and I feel the same way. I know I was never there in person, but I was always there in my mind, Jo. And in my heart. I was _always _thinking about you, every single second."

After letting out a frustrated sigh, Jo looked at him and asked, "Why are you here now? Why did you suddenly decide to spring all this on me _now_? Why tonight?"

"Because I want to bring you back to Momi with me as soon as possible. Today is the first of November, and precisely six months from now, on the first of May, you will turn eighteen. I want you to take the next six months to get to know the Momian people. _Your _people. I want you to see for yourself what Momi is like. I want you to begin familiarizing yourself with our culture and our government. I want you to get a feel for what your life as a Momian princess will be like, should you decide that you want to rule in my place someday. According to Momian tradition, the heir who is next in line for the throne must make an official announcement to the public in a ceremony on his eighteenth birthday declaring his intentions to either rule in the future, or to renounce his title and live out the rest of his life as a commoner. Until now, the ceremony has been a mere formality. No royal heir in Momian history has ever renounced his or her title before. However, I'm not going to attempt to shove your royal title down your throat. I do recognize that it is your life and your decision, and I will respect the decision you make in May, whatever it is."

"You don't need to wait until May. I'll give you your decision right here and now: _no! _I told you before, I'm Jo Polniaczek from the Bronx, not some stupid princess, and that's not ever gonna change."

"Jo, when I said that I wanted to take you back to Momi with me for the next six months, I didn't mean that as a suggestion. I know you don't see me as your father right now, but whether you like it or not, _I am your father_, and I'm not _asking _you to pack your things at the end of the week and be prepared to go to Momi with me this Saturday. _I'm telling you _that that's the way it's going to be. Six months from now, you can make your decision, but not tonight. Right now, you're far too angry and emotional to think clearly. "

"My folks will never allow you to just kidnap me out of the country like this!"

"Actually, I've already spoken with the Polniaczeks about it, and they agree with my decision. I hate to be the bad guy, but I have to do what I think is best. It's time that you started getting to know your people and your culture. You say that your whole life has been a lie, and in some ways, you're right. Now, it's time you started living in the truth. It's time for you to see what your life can be like if you choose to embrace your true identity."

"But what about Eastland and my friends…and Mrs. G.?"

"Charlie, Rose, and I will speak with your headmaster and all your teachers tomorrow. I'll have them send you your assignments, and you can complete your schoolwork in Momi and send it back here to be graded. And if you don't like that option, I'll see to it that you're assigned a private tutor for your studies. As for your friends and Mrs. Garrett, you can call and write to them at any time."

Mrs. Garrett then put her arm around Jo's shoulders and said with an encouraging smile, "Of course you can. We'll call and write every single day. You'll hear from us so much, you won't even notice that we're in two different places. You'll see."

"I know you don't like this, Jo. I know how angry you are, and I'm sorry. But I've made my decision, and it's final. I'll see you Saturday morning."

Prince John then turned around and left, and all the while he was walking out of the cafeteria, Jo was shooting daggers at the man with her eyes.

Once he was gone, Jo cried out, "Who does that creep think he is?! Just because he's royal, he doesn't have any right to just come in here and turn my whole life upside down! And I'm not goin' away for the next six months, just because he says so!"

"Jo, I know that this is very hard for you. I know that what Prince John and your parents have told you tonight has come as a terrible shock. Frankly, I'm almost as shocked inside as you are. But even though this whole thing is hard for you, you have to understand that it's been just as hard for Prince John. First he lost his wife, then his son. And after all of that, he lost his daughter, too, for over seventeen years."

"Stop tryin' to make me feel sorry for him, Mrs. G."

"I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for him; I'm just stating facts. He's been through a lot, just as you have in your young life. He had to make some hard, painful decisions to ensure your safety."

"_Ensure my safety?!_ _He let me grow up in a gang-infested hellhole in the Bronx_!"

"He and I talked a long time this evening while you were gone, and from what all I understand, you were surrounded by a team of the finest bodyguards on the planet; you just never knew."

"Where were those bodyguards when his infant son was being smothered?"

"According to Prince John, their entire security staff was replaced after that terrible event. And when he was preparing to send you to the States, he handpicked the guards who would be protecting you in the Bronx. All your life, you have been watched over by the very best. I know you've had a very painful, difficult life growing up the way you did, but would you have _really _wanted to grow up like Blair has? Would you _really _have been happy, growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth and having everything you ever wanted just handed to you without having to work for it?"

After letting out a defeated sigh, Jo admitted, "No, I wouldn't have been happy growing up like that. Growing up all rich and spoiled and turning into a petty, spoiled brat like Blair is the _last _thing I would ever want."

"I know."

Several long, silent moments passed, and then Jo finally looked at Mrs. Garrett and asked, "What am I supposed to do? I don't want to leave Eastland and be away from my life and my friends here for six months. This school year is the last year I'll ever get to spend with Natalie and Tootie and all my other friends here before Blair and I graduate next June."

"I know it's not easy, Jo. I know that Prince John is asking you to make a sacrifice."

"That man's not _asking _me, Mrs. Garrett. He's _ordering _me, like I'm one of his subjects."

"Like it or not, Jo, _that man_ is your father, and he _does _love you. He's had to make sacrifices, too, you know. It wasn't easy for him to send you away after he'd already lost his wife and his son, but because he believed it was in your best interests, he did. I realize that this probably feels very similar to what your adoptive father put you through when he walked out on you several years ago, and I'm sure you're feeling hurt and betrayed. But Jo, the choice Prince John made is in fact the exact opposite of what Mr. Polniaczek did. With all due respect to your adoptive father, we both know that he did what he did out of selfishness. He chose to run away from his responsibilities because he lacked the courage to face up to them. Prince John, on the other hand, wanted very much to be with you, but he _had _the courage to put your best interests above his own personal desires, and he's spent the past seventeen years without his wife, his son, or his daughter. He did that because he wanted to keep _you _safe. I'd say that after all he's been through, he deserves to be able to spend some time with you and get to know you. And I also believe that you deserve to spend some quality time with your natural father. I agree with what Prince John said. I think you owe it to yourself to see what your life can be like if you decide to embrace your Momian identity. I know you don't want to become a Momian princess right now. I know you just want to get back to living the life you've gotten used to for seventeen years. I get it. But still, I think it's only fair for you to allow yourself to see what that kind of life can be like before you reject it altogether. Look at all sides, Jo, before you make your decision. Don't make a rash decision out of anger. Take your time, learn all you can, and think it through extremely carefully."

Again, Jo sighed. Finally, she said, "As usual, I know you're right, Mrs. G. I just…I just can't believe all this is happening to me. Practically ever other girl on the planet dreams of becomin' a princess, but _I never _dreamed of that. I just dreamed of owning a Harley Davidson." Mrs. Garrett laughed at that. "I never wanted to become a princess," Jo continued. "I never dreamed of prancin' around in some silly ball gown all the time or wearin' a dumb tiara on my head. And I certainly never dreamed of ruling an entire country. I don't mind leading the school debating team for Nat once in a while, or being the captain of the field hockey team, but I do _not _want to be the ruler of a nation. That's too much. That's way too much."

"You know, one thing I've learned in life is that it's often the people who spend their lives seeking out positions of power that make the worst leaders because they don't really care about serving others or helping people who are in trouble. They're simply on a power trip, and they constantly crave more and more power to build up their ego inside. You're not like that. You may be tough, Jo, but you're also terribly sensitive to the struggles of others."

"What are you tryin' to say? That I should say yes to this whole princess thing?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all. That decision has to come from you, not me. What I _am _saying is that if you should decide to officially accept your royal title six months from now, I think you'll be a much better princess than you're giving yourself credit for. But no decisions have to be made right now. Like I said, take your time. This may very well be the most important decision you'll ever make."

After several quiet seconds passed, Jo said, "It'll be so hard leavin' on Saturday, Mrs. G. I'll miss you and the girls so much. Even Blair."

Mrs. Garrett laughed. "We'll miss you too, honey," she told her. "But even though we won't be there physically, we'll always be with you…in here," she said while pointing to her chest.

In an emotional moment, Mrs. Garrett pulled Jo into her arms then and hugged her tight while a couple of tears escaped from Jo's eyes.


	2. The Palace

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 2: The Palace**

A number of important things happened over the next few days. At Mrs. Garrett's insistence, Jo met with Prince John two more times before Saturday came around. He showed her pictures of herself and her deceased twin brother as newborns, as well as pictures of her birth mother, the late Princess Rose. He also showed her pictures of her deceased grandmother, Princess Alexandra II, and of her husband, Jo's grandfather, Charles Keswick, Duke of Konani. Prince John also introduced Jo to a number of men who had all served as her own team of bodyguards throughout her childhood, and Jo was surprised to say the least. All her life, Jo had simply believed that they'd been neighbors living in the same apartment building with her and her mom. As it turned out, a couple of the men whom Jo had believed were janitors at Eastland were also part of a special security detail assigned to her. Ever since she'd been sent to America as a baby, it seemed that Prince John had always had to walk a fine line between keeping his daughter safe and ensuring that she didn't grow up to be weak and spoiled, like he had been as a young adult. As he explained to Jo during their conversations that week, Prince John had eventually decided that he actually _wanted_ Jo to grow up in a harsher environment, not because he'd wanted her to suffer, but because he wanted her to become a person of strength and character. And despite the fact that he did allow her to grow up in a tough, dangerous neighborhood, Jo had still been safer there than she would have been on the island of Momi as a child. Had Prince John kept her with him, Alice's vicious family and a number of Prince John's equally vicious political opponents would have inevitably discovered her whereabouts via their network of spies, and they would have stopped at nothing to have her killed. Prince John had been prepared to remove Jo from the Polniaczeks' care at any time had he felt that her security team was unable to keep her protected in the Bronx any longer. And in fact, when she'd joined a gang and started getting into trouble and Prince John had felt it was too dangerous to allow her to stay in the Bronx, he _did _step in and remove her from Mrs. Polniaczek's care, knowing that her neighborhood was becoming a bad influence on her, and for the past two years, Jo had thrived at Eastland. It was clear that Prince John had always looked out for Jo as best he could over the years, and although Jo didn't want to admit it, he truly did seem to be a caring, understanding, and gracious man. And way, _way _deep down inside, she actually did come to like him a little bit that week even though she didn't want to.

On Thursday night, Jo told Blair, Natalie, and Tootie the lie that her mother was moving to Miami and that she was transferring to a local school there so she wouldn't be so far away from her. Mrs. Garrett was an extremely honest person and she thoroughly hated lying, but in this case, she made an exception and went along with the lie because she clearly understood how important it was to keep Jo's big secret under wraps for the time being. For obvious reasons, not everybody needed to know at that point in time that Jo Polniaczek had actually been born a Momian princess. And the following afternoon when their classes were over, the girls and Mrs. Garrett surprised Jo with a lovely going away party. While Jo certainly enjoyed the cake, refreshments, and presents, it was a very bittersweet occasion for all of them, because everyone hated saying goodbye to Jo and vice versa.

Early that Saturday morning, everybody knew Charlie would be arriving at seven o'clock to take Jo to New York City, so they were already wide awake and dressed by six. (While the girls thought that Charlie was going to take Jo to meet Rose at the airport, in fact, he was taking her to the Momian embassy in New York City where Prince John was staying.) They spent their last hour with Jo doing a little talking in the lounge, and when they were too depressed to talk, they just sat with her in silence.

Five minutes until seven, Tootie spoke up, telling Jo through her tears, "I can't believe this is happening. We're the Four Musketeers, and your mom is splitting us up."

"It's more than my mom, Tootie. It's a lot of things. Believe me, I don't _want _to go away now, but sometimes in life, you're just thrown into situations where you don't have any choice."

"You don't have a choice about leaving now, Jo. That's true," Mrs. Garrett agreed. "However, you girls _do _have a choice about how to handle this. You can make up your minds, right here, right now, that no matter what, you're not ever going to let anything split you up. Not time. Not distance. Not anything. You can choose to do everything within your power to make sure that the Four Musketeers never, ever lose touch with each other."

Blair nodded and said, "You're right, Mrs. Garrett. We'll really miss you around here, Jo, but no matter what, you'll never get rid of us."

"Not even you, Blair?" Jo kidded with a smile, and Blair smiled in return and rolled her eyes.

"All jokes aside, Blair and Mrs. Garrett are right, Jo," Natalie chimed in. "We'll write you every single day."

"And I'll see if I can get away and come up here for spring break next March," said Jo.

"That's a terrific idea, Jo," said Mrs. Garrett. "And I know it doesn't seem like it now, girls, but believe me, the time will fly by and spring break will be here before you know it. We'll be seeing Jo again in no time."

"It still won't be the same, though," Tootie said sadly. "It's not right. You should be here, Jo. We should be together for your senior year."

"I know it's not right, Tootie," Jo told her in a serious tone. "I know it's not fair. _Life's _not fair. It never is. We just have to make the best of it."

It was in that moment, at precisely one minute after seven, that they all heard the sound of Charlie's footsteps approaching from the cafeteria, and they all rose from their seats.

Charlie then entered the lounge and gently asked, "Jo, are you ready?"

Jo locked her eyes with his and responded, "I guess I have to be…don't I?"

"Yeah," Charlie sighed.

In that moment, Mrs. Garrett put her hands on Jo's shoulders, looked into her eyes, and told her, "Jo, I want you to call us as soon as you've arrived and let us know you got there safely."

"I will, Mrs. G.," Jo assured her, and then Mrs. Garrett gave her a very long, tight hug.

When the embrace finally ended, Mrs. Garrett said, "You'll be back here before you know it. And we'll call and write all the time."

Jo nodded, and then Natalie came up to her and hugged her, and she said, "When you write from Florida, don't forget to tell us all about the great hunks on the beach down there. I want details. _A lot _of details."

Jo chuckled and said, "You got it, Nat."

In that next moment, a tearful Tootie hugged her for the longest time, and finally, she said, "I'm going to miss you so much, Jo."

"I'll miss you too, Tootie."

At long last, it was Blair's turn. Nobody was better at verbal sparring than her and Jo, but everybody knew that underneath all their constant arguing and zingers, they really did care for each other and consider one another close friends. For a long, silent moment, Blair simply didn't know what to say, and the last thing she wanted was to get all mushy. Finally, after giving Jo a hug, she just looked at her and said, "For heaven's sake, while you're on the beach in Florida, work on your tan! You're as pale as a ghost."

"Right," Jo responded, not knowing what else to say.

"Jo, uh…we'd better get going," said Charlie.

"Coming, Pop," said Jo, and then she picked up her big black bag, which had been sitting in the corner of the room, and she followed her adoptive father through the cafeteria to the exit. Mrs. Garrett and the girls followed, and when Charlie drove off with Jo in his 1966 Mustang, they all waved a heartfelt goodbye to their dear friend.

* * *

Rose met Jo and Charlie at the Momian embassy in New York City at about eight-thirty that morning, and they too said a long, emotional goodbye to each other. After Rose and Charlie left at about a quarter past nine, Prince John introduced Jo to a sweet young blonde lady named Grace who spent the next couple of hours with her, picking out the proper clothes and accessories for her to wear and giving her a quick rundown of what would be expected of her once she entered her family's palace in the Momian capital of Lani. To Jo's surprise, she already had a mountain of designer clothes, shoes, and expensive jewelry waiting for her in a special suite in the Momian embassy. Obviously, Prince John wasn't about to turn his daughter loose in the palace in a sweatshirt and jeans!

As one would expect, Jo put up a fight when Grace tried to convince her to wear a pink dress, so instead, Jo wore a sleeveless sky blue dress with a matching jacket, a simple strand of pearls around her neck, matching sky blue dress shoes, and – much to Jo's dismay – pantyhose. Her hair was taken out of its usual ponytail and was properly combed and styled, and when Grace and the ladies working under her were done, Jo's long brunette hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Although Jo didn't _feel _like a princess at the moment, she _looked _the part by the time Grace and the other ladies were done with her.

Everyone left the embassy in Prince John's private plane at about half past noon that day, and they arrived in Lani nine hours later. Although Jo would never have openly admitted it, as soon as she first set foot inside the palace that night, she was flabbergasted. She'd honestly never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. Some areas of the palace, such as the throne room, looked as though the walls and the floor had been carved out of blue marble. Most of the palace, however, had white marble floors and breathtaking scenery painted on the walls. Every single room was basically a work of art, a masterpiece.

As soon as they arrived, Prince John had his guards escort him and Jo directly to his office. His office was one of the rooms with blue marble walls and floors, and it was quite huge with an enormous bookcase on one wall, a Queen Anne mahogany desk filled to the brim with paperwork, with two matching chairs sitting across from a large navy blue leather office chair, and a similar navy blue couch, exquisite rug, and mahogany coffee table in the middle of the room. On the walls hung portraits of every reigning prince and princess Momi had ever had, ending with Prince John's portrait.

The moment they stepped inside, Jo saw that a tall older man with white hair and round glasses in a gray suit and tie was waiting for them. It was then that Prince John turned to her and said, "Jo, I'd like to introduce you to my personal assistant, Andrew Stuart. He served as my mother's personal assistant for many years, and his help to me has been invaluable throughout my reign."

"It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Your Serene Highness," he told her, and then he took her hand and kissed it.

"Look, let's get somethin' straight, here. I'm not 'Your Serene Highness.' I'm just Jo."

"My dear, we went over this during our flight," Prince John patiently reminded her. "It is a matter of basic etiquette in the Momian royal court. No one may ever address you as your first name, with the exception of me and those closest to you. And even your closest friends and family may only call you by your first name during informal occasions, or in private. At all other times, you must always be addressed as 'Your Serene Highness' or as 'Your Highness' or as 'Miss Anne.'"

"Right," Jo sighed, not at all happy with the loss of the name she grew up with, not to mention all the bowing and scraping from others.

A moment later, he informed her, "Tomorrow is going to be a very long day. Grace is going to begin teaching you how to properly conduct yourself as a princess in Momian society, and when she is through giving you lessons in royal etiquette for the day, Andrew is going to take over. He is going to teach you everything you need to know about our history and our culture and our government. I believe you will find him as invaluable as I always have."

Jo nodded, and then Prince John added, "One more thing. Only a select few in this palace are aware of your true identity. Although every single person here has had to pass through brutally thorough background checks in order to attain their positions in this palace, I still believe it's safer for as few people as possible to know the truth right now. I assumed that because of our tight security, nothing could possibly happen to you and your brother when you were infants. I'm never making that mistake again. Since your arrival, security here has been greatly increased, but I would still prefer to err on the side of caution. Therefore, as far as most people in this palace are concerned, you are the daughter of a family friend and a guest here. While in private, Grace, Andrew, and all other servants who are aware of your true identity will address you as either 'Your Serene Highness' or as 'Your Highness' as royal etiquette requires. At all other times, they and everyone else will address you as 'Miss Anne.' While you are here, you will be staying in one of our guest suites. Should you decide six months from now to officially accept your proper place in the royal line of succession, then the entire palace staff, as well as all of Momi, will learn the truth during what we simply refer to as the announcement ceremony, which of course will take place on your eighteenth birthday. After that, you will be given a suite of your own which will be better suited for a princess."

"Sounds like fun," Jo said sullenly. While most other girls would be on cloud nine right about now, Jo absolutely _hated_ what Prince John was telling her. She knew she had to go through the whole song and dance of pretending to consider becoming a princess over the next six months because Prince John was her father, at least technically, and she had no choice. However, she knew there was _no way _she was ever going to agree to change _everything _about her life and live like some spoiled snob! The fancy clothes, the jewelry, the palace, the titles, the bowing, the scraping, the rules…it just wasn't her, and she knew it. She did feel sorry for Prince John after all he'd been through, but still, she couldn't _wait_ to get this whole ordeal over with.

After a long pause, Prince John put a kind hand on his daughter's shoulder and told her, "You look tired. You should get some rest now. As I said, tomorrow is going to be a long day. Andrew, will you please have the Princess escorted to her suite?"

"Of course, sir," Andrew responded, and then he left the Prince's office. A couple of seconds later, a team of guards entered and took Jo to her suite for the night.

* * *

The next several weeks were a whirlwind of activity for Jo. It was nothing but constant lessons in everything from Momian politics to fashion. She was learning about her country's history and culture, and she was also being made to learn how a princess properly walks, talks, dresses, and holds her fork in high society. While Jo found the history and politics interesting and proved herself to be an excellent student to Andrew, she absolutely _despised _the lessons with Grace in royal etiquette. However, she was a trouper and even though she hated her time with Grace, she grit her teeth and got through it as best she could, mostly because she knew it was important to Prince John. Although she did not yet see him as her father, he had always been gracious and patient with her during her time there and Jo knew that, and she had not forgotten the fact that he really had been through a lot. As she got to know him better, she saw that he was a kind man with a good heart, and despite the fact that she had no intention of accepting her title on her eighteenth birthday, she didn't want to disappoint him or cause him any trouble while she was staying at the palace.

Finally, on a Wednesday afternoon in mid-January, Prince John gave Jo a very pleasant surprise: a morning off from etiquette lessons. He, along with his two most trusted bodyguards, took Jo to a special place. It was at the top of a cliff overlooking the gorgeous turquoise ocean and beach below. It was chilly, about fifty degrees, and they were wearing warm coats to shield them from the winter breeze.

"I used to sneak away from the palace and come here all the time as a kid," Prince John told her soon after they arrived. (Prince John and Jo had gotten out of his navy blue Rolls Royce and the guards had remained behind in the car to give them a little privacy.) "This was always my own special place to come to whenever I just needed to stop and think things over. I'd been naïve enough to believe that I was alone, but in later years, I discovered that my parents had known all along. The guards had always followed me, so I was never truly as alone as I had believed. It's a sacrifice every royal must make. In this life, no one is ever truly allowed a single moment of privacy."

"I don't understand. If you think it's so tough being royal, why didn't you renounce your title when you had the chance?"

"Because if I had, my parents would never have spoken to me again," he replied sadly. "Defying my family…going against my people's expectations…it was utterly unthinkable to me, Anne." Whether she liked it or not, Jo had had to get used to everyone addressing her by her birth name during her stay, including Prince John.

"Prince John, I know that when you and I are in the palace, you have to call me Anne. But right now, it's just a private conversation between you and me, so can you please call me by my real name? Can you let me have that much?"

"Do you think that maybe in return, you could stop calling me Prince John and start calling me Dad?"

"Dad?" Jo said with surprise.

"I know I probably haven't earned it, but it would mean a great deal to me. I would never ask you to call me Pop. I know that's just for Charlie. But even though it may be hard for you to accept, Jo, I'm your father, too."

"Actually, given the fact that you had to give me up after losing your wife and your son in order to keep me safe…I'd say you _have _earned it…Dad."

"Thank you," he whispered, fighting off tears.

"At least I know that you missed out on the last seventeen and a half years of my life because you didn't have a choice. You did what you had to do to get me out of danger, and you also had to stay behind here to run your country. As much as I love Pop, to this day, it still hurts that he missed out on a big chunk of my life because _he chose _to miss out on it; because he didn't love me enough to be there; because he didn't love me enough to make better choices."

"Sometimes, people are too stupid to make better choices," he teased with his typical dry humor Jo had become used to, and she laughed. "In a way, I'm kidding, but in another way, I'm actually being serious. When Rose told me in her letters how Charlie had walked out on both of you and how you had suffered because of it, I was furious. I could have broken his neck." He then looked her in the eyes and told her truthfully, "I wanted to be present in your life. I wanted to be there with you more than anything. More than breathing. I would have given anything if I could have been there to raise you as a father is _supposed _to be there to raise his child. And I was _astounded _that a man could actually be _stupid enough _to walk out on the remarkable _privilege _of being your father. I know that you care about Charlie and that despite the terrible things he's done, you still see him as a kind of father. But it's just a cold, hard fact that Charlie Polniaczek is a stupid, stupid man. I know you deserved better, Jo, and I'm so sorry that things had to be like this."

"I see where you were coming from, though. It may have been a painful decision, but I know that in the long run, you really knew what you were doing when you placed me with Ma and Pop. I'm not happy that I grew up with so much pain and heartache, but at the same time, I know that if I had never had any real struggles as a kid, today, I'd just be an obnoxious brat like Blair. You could have given me a life as a rich princess where I had everything I ever wanted and more, but instead, you made sure that I'd grow up to be a decent person. You knew that that was more important than my comfort, and to be perfectly honest, I'm grateful to you that you did that."

"Thank you, Jo," he told her in an emotional whisper. "Thank you for saying that."

"It's just the truth. I know you're a good man, and I know you care about me."

"I love you more than anything. I'm just sorry I never had a chance to really show it until now."

"I know. But even though I know that you care, I still have a question nagging at me in the back of my mind that I've just got to ask."

"Go right ahead."

"Did you really come back into my life again because you missed me and wanted to have a father-daughter relationship with me, or did you simply do it because you have an angle?"

"An angle?"

"Like wanting to have a princess to take your place on the throne someday. Are you really putting in all this time and effort because you love me as much as you say you do and you want to be a part of my life again, or are you doing it just because you want to get something out of me?"

"Jo, let me explain something. My younger brother Edward has had his eyes on the crown his whole life. He's always been murderously jealous of my royal position as the Sovereign Prince of Momi. I told you before how spoiled I was when I was a young man. My brother Edward, however, was always far worse. He grew up to be a ruthless person, and he still is today. For many years, he subjected his poor wife to relentless abuse and he cheated on her constantly until she finally couldn't take it anymore and got a legal separation from him five years ago. We all saw how he treated her, and even Mother, as strict as she was about protecting our family's reputation, tried to convince his wife to leave him for years. Mother's role as the Sovereign Princess of Momi may have come first in her life, but no matter how important the monarchy was to her, she was not heartless, and she was not a fool. She always saw her younger son for the monster that he truly is. And it wasn't just his wife. He's always been a danger to nearly everyone, you and your brother in particular."

"What do you mean?"

"When I first came to see you at Eastland and I told you about what happened to your brother, I didn't mention it at the time, but it wasn't just Alice's brothers who broke into the palace and murdered Henry and attempted to murder you. There were also men there that night who were working for your uncle, and they, too, wanted you and your brother killed."

"I don't understand. I know Alice's brothers wanted to kill Henry and me so that they could eventually put Stephen on the throne and rule the country through him, but why would Prince Edward want to help them make Stephen the next ruler?"

"Have you ever heard the old saying, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"

"Yeah."

"Edward never wanted to help them put Stephen on the throne. Like I said, Edward's always wanted the throne for himself. However, even if he did succeed in getting me out of the way somehow, you and your brother Henry would've still been ahead of him in the line of succession. Edward wanted you both dead so that it would be easier for him to take the throne one day. With both you and Henry gone, there wouldn't be as many obstacles in his path. And he has tried to take the throne from me over the years – that is, when he hasn't been too busy running off to the far corners of the world with all his drinking buddies. He has a number of supporters in Parliament and throughout our government, men that he pays off to do whatever he wants. But no matter how hard he's tried, he's never been able to defeat me politically or in any other way. There may come a time when he will make an attempt on my life, but thank the Lord, it hasn't happened yet.

"Anyway, my point is, after Henry was murdered that night, I knew I had a choice. I could choose to grab you and run away with you to the States or to some other country where we could be an ordinary family like everybody else, just you and me, and _I wanted _to do that more than anything in this world. But if I abandoned my position here, my role, my duties, the crown would have inevitably passed to Edward, and seventy-one thousand people would have suffered immensely, because that's what happens when people like Edward come into positions of great power. Jo, if there had been anyone else besides Edward to take the throne in my place, I would have left with you in a heartbeat. I never would have allowed us to be separated in the first place, had there been any other option. I won't lie. I am deeply concerned for the future and the well-being of my country, but I _did not _come back into your life because I had an angle. _You're my_ _child. I love you. _And now that I am back in your life again, I'm never going to leave. Not ever. Even if you renounce your title at the announcement ceremony on your eighteenth birthday, I'm still going to make every effort to spend as much time with you as possible."

With a stray tear forming in her eye, Jo simply put her arms around her father and gave him a long hug. When the embrace ended a few moments later, Jo asked him, "If I decide in May that I'm not going to accept my place in the line of succession, what's going to happen?"

"I'll stay on the throne, either until I die or until I am forced to abdicate because of my declining health. When that happens, my brother Edward will ascend the throne, and every decision he makes as a ruler will be to benefit himself at the cost of our people. I don't mean any of this as a guilt-trip, Jo. I'm merely stating fact."

"Your declining health? What are you talking about?"

"Last year, I suffered a heart attack, and my heart is damaged. My physician tells me that it is unwise for me to remain on the throne due to all the stress. I've cut down on my workload considerably. Andrew and several of my political allies in Parliament have taken over a number of my duties for me. They handle much of the public side of things. They make appearances in my name. They deal with the press. They help me with other matters. However, even with all their help, it would still be best if I could step down in a few years. I'm hoping that in May, you will agree to formally accept your title and announce to the public your intentions to rule in the future. And I'm hoping that you will agree to attend college here at Lani University and take that time to prepare yourself to rule as our sovereign princess, and that once you have graduated at age twenty-one, you will ascend the throne in my place."

After a long silence, Jo said, "I don't know. This life…it's just not me. I may be a princess by blood as you've told me many times, but in my mind and in my heart, I'm just plain old Jo Polniaczek. I don't want to rule a country. I don't want to be a princess. I don't want to be a part of Momian high society. I don't want to spend so many hours of the day going to tea parties and worrying about how I sit or how I hold my teacup or what I wear or what I say. I just want to be me. I can never fit in with a bunch of petty, childish, spoiled snobs because that's not who I am, and that's not ever who I want to be."

"I understand what you're saying. I understand how very trying this life can be. There's no doubt about it that life as a princess requires an extraordinary amount of patience, and I know it's a lot to ask of a teenager. I know I'm asking you to leave behind your home, your friends, the only way of life you've ever known. I know I'm asking you to give up all your privacy; to dedicate your whole life to the service of our people. But you must understand that if the crown passes to your uncle, he will bring nothing but corruption into our government, and it will be the poorest and the weakest of our people who will suffer the most. Everything he will ever do will be simply to increase his own wealth and power. Programs that your grandmother and I helped put into place to provide financial assistance and medical care to the poor and the disabled will be gutted so that that money can go to wealthy donors and lobbyists, who in turn will line Edward's pockets. Programs that help the homeless get back on their feet will be done away with. He will turn our entire government into one giant pay-to-play scheme. There are people like Edward in places of leadership in our government and in governments all over the world, many of whom have made a literal deal with the devil to get where they are, and they do things behind the scenes that are simply unthinkable. And there simply aren't enough Godly men and women with a heart and a conscience to stand up against them. Jo, this world desperately needs as many leaders as possible to take a stand against the darkness in the name of Christ. And as far as Momi is concerned, when the time comes that I am no longer able to carry out my duties as the Sovereign Prince of Momi, it will be the most vulnerable of our people who will be crushed by my brother. And it will be_ you _and you alone who stands in his way. You may not be a big fan of tea parties and high society, but you _are _a fighter, Jo, and _that _is what the people of Momi need the most. They need someone with the fire and the courage to take a stand and fight for them. They don't need a princess who is weak, pampered, and spoiled. They need someone with strength, character, compassion, and brains. What they need, Jo, is _you._"

All along, Jo had been so certain that she was going to reject this life; that she could never _begin_ to tolerate it. But when Prince John showed her the bigger picture that she had been missing, all of the sudden, her whole perspective began to change as she stared out at the sparkling turquoise sea.

* * *

During the next week, Jo really poured everything she had into all her lessons. While she'd always put forth at least some effort in the past, Andrew and especially Grace were really impressed with how hard she was working now. When they told Prince John of his daughter's progress, he was immensely pleased to say the least. However, one evening, everything changed when Jo accidentally overheard a conversation between her dad, Andrew, and Grace.

"With all due respect, Your Serene Highness, I really don't know if this is a good idea right now," Grace said cautiously as Jo approached the door of Prince John's office, which was barely open a crack. "It's so soon," she protested.

"I understand your concerns, Grace. I know that I'm trying to move things along very quickly, perhaps too quickly, but given the political climate and things with my brother, I simply have no choice. We _must _begin looking at potential suitors for her. We all know the law and customs of our country, and we all know my brother. We cannot give him any possible opening to weaken her claim to the throne."

"His Highness is correct, Grace," said Andrew. "We must act quickly. The welfare of our entire nation depends on it. We must find her a suitable husband as soon as possible. An engagement must be announced to the press this summer, perhaps even earlier, and she must be wed by the end of the year. We have no choice."

Jo then pushed the door open, walked inside, and asked, "Who must be wed by the end of the year?"

"Andrew, Grace, will you excuse us, please?" asked Prince John.

"Yes, Your Highness," they said simultaneously, and then they both made a quick exit.

"Anne…Jo…come over here with me and sit down for a moment," he told her, and in the next moment, they both walked over to the couch together and sat down side by side. Jo was wearing a long-sleeved designer gray wool dress and black dress shoes and a simple silver chain around her neck, and with her makeup done to perfection and her brunette hair cascading past her shoulders, she really did look like a princess, even though she still didn't feel like one. "I must apologize," Prince John continued a moment later. "I've been holding something back. Something important. I had to wait until the right time to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"You know that while Momi is a beautiful country with a rich culture, we as a nation do have our drawbacks. To this day, Momian royalty and government are painfully old-fashioned, even sexist. As you know, women here have only had the right to vote for the past fifteen years, and unfortunately, to this day, women are ineligible to serve in Parliament or in any other position in government, with the obvious exception of a princess who ascends the throne. Also, according to our law, an unmarried prince can ascend the throne, but an unmarried princess cannot. Should you decide to officially accept your royal title in May, you would need to be married as soon as possible."


	3. Tony

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 3: Tony**

"_Married_?" Jo said in utter disbelief.

"That's correct."

"But that's crazy. And besides, even if I do have to be married in order to ascend the throne, why the big rush? I mean, I'm not even dating anybody right now. I haven't been serious about anybody since Eddie and I broke up last year. If I really have to get married before I can rule, I don't understand why it has to be by the end of this year. Why can't we just wait and see if I find somebody in college?"

"If it weren't for my brother, believe me, I would be more than happy to let you take your time to find a husband. Sadly, we simply do not have that luxury. The instant he finds out about you, he is going to do everything in his power to stop you from ascending the throne. I may be this country's ruler, but Edward does have some support in our government. Since I have had to cut back on my duties, he has been calling constantly for me to abdicate the throne in favor of him, and those calls are getting louder and louder all the time. Due to my health, my claim to the throne is continually weakening, especially in the eyes of Parliament. If you announce to the public that you intend to rule someday, in that very moment, Edward and his political allies will begin screaming to the press that because you are not married, you are not a valid heir to the throne. He will not waste a single moment in challenging your right to rule, and he will work continually to convince Parliament and the public that I must be forced to step down because of my health, and that he is the only person who can legally take my place. And there is at least some chance that he could succeed. I am so very sorry my dear, but if you do decide to officially accept your royal title in May, then it is imperative that you be engaged and then married to a worthy young man as soon as possible so that your uncle will not have an opportunity to threaten your place in the line of succession."

During the following moments, Jo simply responded by taking in a deep breath and blowing out a very long sigh. Prince John then put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I know, darling. I know I'm asking you to make yet another great sacrifice."

"If I'm going to go ahead with this whole princess thing, then I have no choice but to agree to an arranged marriage. Is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes. That's what I'm telling you."

Jo shook her head and said, "I can't, Dad. I'm sorry, but I just can't. I want to do what I can to protect Momi from your brother. You know that. But there's no way I can get married to someone I don't love. When I do get married, it has to be to a man that I'm in love with. I can't imagine anything more miserable than being stuck with somebody that you don't have any feelings for."

"I felt the same way when I married your mother. I wasn't much older than you are now when she and I were married. As you already know, at that time in my life, I had feelings for someone else."

"Alice," Jo said knowingly.

"That's right. Mother knew that I was still in love with Alice, and she was terrified that I would further embarrass the family by having another illegitimate child with her. She wanted to get my mind off Alice, make me forget her once and for all. She felt that it was in everyone's best interests for me to get married as soon as I graduated from college. I was terribly unhappy about the idea to say the least. I wanted to rebel, I wanted to run away, but I just didn't have the guts to do it. I fell into line. I did what was expected of me, no matter how much I hated it. And the first year of my marriage to Rose was absolutely miserable, for both of us. I'm ashamed to say that in that time, I was very unfair to your mother. I was very unkind. I resented it so much that I couldn't get married to Alice and be with her and Stephen, and I took all of my resentment out on your mother. She was an incredibly sweet, gentle soul. Although she was from a noble family, her status never went to her head. She tried very hard to be a good wife, to help me with my burdens as a prince, but for a long time, I wouldn't let her in. The Bible commands husbands to love their wives, even to the point of sacrificing their lives for them just as Christ sacrificed Himself for His church. But I didn't do that. I withheld love from my wife, and she suffered because of my selfishness. She too was forced into the marriage by her family, but she was a better person than I. During that first year, she tried very hard to make it work. She was patient and generous with me, but I gave her nothing in return because I was so foolish and spoiled. I was angry that for once in my life, I hadn't gotten my own way. Finally, she began to succumb to very deep depression. She was in so much emotional pain that for a time, she couldn't even function. She couldn't get out of bed. She barely ate. She hardly spoke to anyone. I hadn't realized it, but during that first year of our marriage, my coldness towards her had been killing her spirit. It was then that Mother took me aside and asked me, 'What kind of man are you going to choose to be, John? Are you going to choose to be kind and responsible, or are you going to choose to be cruel and stupid like your brother?' It was at that very moment in my life that I finally began to truly grow up. I saw it then that if I didn't change the way I behaved in my marriage, I would eventually become as cruel and corrupt inside as my brother. At last, it dawned on me that even though I was a prince and the future ruler of my country, the whole world actually _didn't _revolve around me. After my conversation with Mother that day, I changed my attitude and my behavior. Even though at the time, I didn't have the same feelings for your mother that I had for Alice, I decided that I would choose to love her; that I would begin treating her with the dignity and the respect she deserved; that I would start being a true friend to her and start being there for her as a husband should be there for his wife."

"What happened? Did she get over her depression?"

"She struggled with clinical depression until her death, but she functioned as best she could, and I started doing everything I could to help her. In the end, my efforts did make a difference, and things changed between us. It took some time, but I did develop very deep feelings for your mother. She was my best friend and my biggest fan, and I came to cherish her above all else. We cultivated a deep, meaningful relationship between the two of us because every single day, we _chose _to love one another, to work together as a team, and to put each other above ourselves. Our marriage wasn't perfect. No marriage is. But I will always be grateful to Jesus for every moment I got to have with your mother.

"I guess in the end, what I'm trying to tell you is that contrary to popular belief, it _is _possible for an arranged marriage to work out well. Everybody's getting divorced these days, Jo. Granted, there are legitimate reasons for divorce, such as abuse or unrepentant adultery. However, I do believe the majority of divorces occur because many people have entirely unrealistic expectations that are rooted in Hollywood fairy tales. A lot of marriages are based on nothing more than emotion, and believe me, my dear girl, there is nothing on God's green earth that is more fickle than human emotion. This isn't true for everyone, but for a lot of people in today's world, they foolishly expect their marriage to keep them on a constant emotional high, and then when the reality of life sets in and they hit a few bumps in the road, they bail out. This so-called 'marrying for love' is often really just immature people marrying for an emotional high that masquerades as love. I'm not saying that it isn't important for a husband and wife to have some attraction to each other. I'm just saying that there's so much more to marriage than the silly fairy tale Hollywood portrays. A man and a woman can make the decision right from the start that they're going to love each other, put God and each other before themselves, be each other's best friend, and build a life together. And that commitment can grow into a very beautiful, deep, powerful love over time. I speak from personal experience."

"I don't know," Jo said with a sigh.

"I understand your doubts and reservations. I really do. And I am terribly sorry that it has to be this way. I would be much happier if we could wait until you had a few more years of life experience under your belt before you got married. I know it's not right and it's not fair that we have to ask you to get married at age eighteen. I know you deserve more time."

"I'm going to have to think about this. I mean really, _really _think about this."

"Of course. But in the meantime, we're going to begin introducing you to potential suitors."

"Can't you hold off on that? Can't you at least give me a chance to catch my breath, here?" asked an exasperated Jo.

"I'm terribly sorry. I wish I could, but if you decide to formally accept your title on your eighteenth birthday, we must be prepared to immediately announce your engagement to the press."

"So in other words, if I decide to become your princess in a few months, I have to already have a future husband picked out so it won't be as easy for your brother to pull any stunts."

"Precisely."

Jo then let out a frustrated sigh and buried her head in her hands, and Prince John gave her a sympathetic pat on the back.

"I know I'm asking a very, very great deal from you, Jo. The weight of the crown can often be crushing, and most people cannot bear up under it. But you are a remarkably strong young woman who understands the meaning of things like duty and honor better than many people twice your age. You are an immensely special young lady, and even though it is hard, I know you can do it. There's not a doubt in my mind. Look at how far you've come. Look at all you've already accomplished. Many kids in poor, gang-infested neighborhoods from broken homes get caught up in a lifetime of bad habits. They get trapped in gang life. They become alcoholics, drug addicts, and criminals. You were abandoned by your adoptive father. You constantly witnessed violence in the streets as a kid. You lost two of your friends to suicide. You had so much going against you, but with the help of the good Lord and Mrs. Garrett and your friends, you overcame all of that and made something of yourself. You reached the top of your class at one of the most academically challenging private schools in the U.S. There isn't a college in America or elsewhere that wouldn't love to get their hands on you. After all you've lived through…after all you've survived in your young life…you are more than capable of handling this. And I give you my word as a father that I will do everything I can to help you. I will screen your suitors personally. _No one _will be allowed to meet with you without my permission, and I assure you, I will only allow a young man to see you if I am convinced that he is worthy of you. You should know by now that I have extremely high standards."

"I know you do. I just feel that…_I _should be the one to decide who I marry and when."

"I may screen your suitors, but _you _will always make the final choice. If there's a young man you don't like and you no longer wish to meet with him, just say so, and that will be the end of it and you will be introduced to someone else. _You_ will always have the final say in this, Jo. You can still decide to reject your title on your eighteenth birthday and go back to the life you had before. It's all your choice. I know that ever since you got here about three months ago, I've been putting a lot of pressure on you to accept your rightful place in the Momian line of succession because I'm worried about what will happen to our country if you don't. But I want you to know that if you do decide that this life isn't for you, I will not think less of you. I won't ever love you or respect you any less."

Jo then looked into her dad's eyes and said, "You really feel protective of me, don't you?"

"You're my little girl, Jo. How can I _not _feel that way?"

Tears came to her eyes in that moment. All her life, there had been a very sweet, sensitive, brokenhearted little girl living beneath Jo's tough exterior. Until now, she'd never really been allowed to be vulnerable, to look to her daddy for the protection she needed, because her adoptive father had never really been there. All her life, she hadn't had much choice but to act tough and pretend she wasn't in pain. But now, for the first time in her life, Jo _did _have a father, _a real father_, who knew how to be an _adult_, who knew how to act like a _man_, and really be there for his little girl. For the first time, she could finally let that brokenhearted little girl within her come out to the surface, because she _finally _had a real daddy in her life she knew she could _trust. _It was a whole heck of a lot more than she ever got from the likes of Charlie Polniaczek.

Jo then turned to her dad, put her arms around him, and just allowed herself to cry while he hugged her tightly. Through her tears, she allowed herself to admit, "I'm scared, Dad."

"I know you are, darling," he said gently. "It's okay to be scared. But I promise you, as long as I am breathing, I am always going to do everything within my power to protect you from harm. You can always trust me, Jo. Always. I would never do anything to hurt you, and I would never allow anyone else to hurt you, either. I don't blame you for being frightened. I know how scary all of this can be. I really do. But I promise you that you can trust me. We'll get through this. Everything will be alright."

In that moment, the embrace ended and Prince John handed Jo a tissue so she could wipe her eyes.

"If you want me to, I'll meet with suitors. I'll try to give this whole thing a chance."

"Thank you."

"But you should know that I really don't think I'm going to be able to say yes to this in May. I don't think I can handle getting married right now, especially to someone I barely know."

"I've been there, Jo. I understand exactly what you're going through right now. When I was your age, I was terribly afraid of ascending the throne. I was terrified of the responsibility. I didn't want to have the weight of seventy-one thousand people on my shoulders. I didn't want to have the press snooping into every nook and cranny of my personal life. And when I was twenty-one, I didn't want to get married to anyone other than Alice. But sometimes in life, we have to walk a harder path. We can't always take the road that we want to take. But as long as we make wise choices and remember to always act with compassion, things have a way of working out in the end. Remember what Jesus taught us? To love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If you spend your life doing that, if you commit yourself to His will, God will cause everything in your life to fall into place. I believe that with all my heart. In the meantime, we just have to trust Him and go about our work."

"You mean, you with running the country and me with all the lessons and meeting suitors."

"Yes," said Prince John, and then he kissed Jo on the cheek. "I know it's scary, but even though it's hard not to worry, try not to. Trust God, and trust me. I promise you, this is going to work out."

Jo nodded, and then she said, "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, my dear," he told her, and then after planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, Jo got up and walked out, and was escorted to her suite for the night by her guards.

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Prince John spent much of his time screening potential suitors for his daughter. He met with a number of Momi's most eligible bachelors, some of them with titles and others who simply came from "good" (a.k.a. wealthy and well-known) families. Unfortunately, _none _of them met his very high standards.

"If I may be so bold, Your Serene Highness, you simply must stop being so hard to please," Andrew complained to Prince John in his office one afternoon. "We do not have much time, and you realize more than anyone how very important it is that we find a suitable match for Princess Anne as soon as possible. We haven't a moment to waste."

"I understand your concerns, Andrew," Prince John said patiently. "And I am painfully aware that as the sovereign prince of this nation, I have a duty to my people. However, I _also _have a duty to do my job as a father. I cannot and I will not introduce the Princess to someone I know she would not be happy with. And so far, all of the young men I have met with have been nothing but immature, entitled, spoiled little brats. Anne would never be able to tolerate any of them. My daughter has absolutely no patience for such nonsense, and frankly, neither do I."

"His Highness is right, Andrew," Grace chimed in. "It's true that we are in a race against the clock, but that doesn't give us the excuse to be careless and marry the Princess off to just anybody. Think about it. Being the husband of a sovereign princess is a full-time job in and of itself. It's important that we make certain we match Her Highness with a young man who is willing and able to dedicate his entire life to giving her the emotional support she needs as she runs a country, _without _a macho ego getting in the way."

"Indeed," Prince John agreed. "If and when Anne ascends the throne in the future, she is going to have the responsibility of thousands of lives on her shoulders. It's a tremendous burden, and it is vital for her husband to be a Godly man of character and maturity, who will do everything he can to help ease her burdens as much as possible. He must also be a man who will not be offended at having to stand in the background and allow his wife to continually shine in the spotlight. As you said, Grace, there is no place in the Princess's life for a silly macho ego."

"You know, it's really a shame that Her Highness must be married to someone with wealth and status," Grace mused. "I know that the Princess must marry a member of high society, someone with a title, but it sure would be nice if we could just give a middle class man a title and let her marry him instead."

"Is there someone you have in mind, Grace?" Prince John asked.

"Do you remember when I was hit by that drunk driver last year, Your Highness?"

"Of course I do."

"I had a concussion and had to spend several days in the hospital, and while I was there, I met the most wonderful young man. If I weren't already married, I would have tried to go after him myself."

"A doctor?" Prince John inquired.

"A registered nurse, actually."

"Unusual occupation for a man," Andrew commented with a hint of disapproval.

"We got to know each other fairly well while I was there. At the time, at least, he was single. And even though it is unusual for men to be nurses like you said, Andrew, he never let that stop him. It's true that he couldn't afford to go all the way through medical school, but he said he didn't mind because he really liked spending a lot of time with patients and getting to know them."

"He seems to have made a strong impression on you," Prince John observed.

"Well of course he did. He was so warm and kind and intelligent, not to mention _gorgeous._"

"How old is he?" Prince John questioned.

"I never asked him his age, but he looked to me to be in his early twenties."

"What's his name?" asked the Prince.

"Tony Daniels."

"Sir, are you seriously considering this?"

"Is there some reason why I shouldn't consider it, Andrew?" Prince John asked pointedly.

"Your Serene Highness, with all due respect, allowing the Princess to marry a commoner would be horribly improper to say the least. Every prince and princess of the royal House of Konopka has always married nobility or other royals, people with titles."

"If I approve of this Tony Daniels and he agrees to the union, I'll give him a title."

"But sir…forgive me if I am overstepping my bounds, but it just wouldn't be right. It's never been done before. The people expect–"

"This is 1983, Andrew, not 1883," Prince John interrupted. "I realize that it's a long-standing tradition in this country for our royalty to only marry other royals or nobles. However, times are changing, even in this country. People no longer care about that sort of thing as much as they used to; they've wised up since the olden days. People today are smart enough to see that it's not titles that matter; it's character. If I allow my daughter to marry a spoiled idiot just because he has wealth and a title, I will be doing her and our entire country a grave disservice. Tradition does still matter in this country, yes, but I firmly believe that doing the right thing matters so much more. And it's only right that Anne's husband be a man of honor who will respect her, love her, cherish her, and care for her as a husband should; a man who will spend his life doing everything in his power to help her with the great burdens of her position. As long as this Tony Daniels has what it takes to be the kind of husband my daughter deserves, I'll take care of the title problem."

"But sir, if the man Princess Anne marries doesn't come from a proper family, it will only give your brother more ammunition to use against her," Andrew protested.

"And if I allow the Princess to marry a man without the maturity or the character required to be a worthy husband to her, he too would also give Edward plenty of ammunition to use against her. My mind is made up, Andrew. I'll meet with this Tony Daniels and get to know him for myself, and if I think he's the kind of man Anne and I can trust, I'll allow her to meet with him and let her take it from there."

Andrew could easily tell by the look on Prince John's face that he had pushed the issue as far as he could with him, so he simply told him, "As you say, Your Serene Highness."

"Now, Andrew, Grace, if you two will please excuse me, I have an entire mountain of paperwork that I must catch up on."

"Yes, sir," they said simultaneously, and then they turned around and left.

* * *

One week later, Tony Daniels came to the palace to meet with Prince John for the first time. He was escorted inside through a back entrance, the guards ensuring that no one saw him. After one of the guards knocked on Prince John's office door and showed him inside, he approached the young man and shook his hand.

"Welcome," Prince John said kindly.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Tony quietly responded.

"Please, come over here and sit down," he said as he motioned towards his desk.

A couple of moments later, after Prince John sat down at his desk and Tony sat down in one of the two chairs across from him, Prince John told Tony, "I know that you work at Lani General Hospital as a registered nurse. Therefore, I can assume that you understand the value of a human life better than most."

"Yes, I think I do."

"I'm not being dramatic when I tell you that if word ever got out about the things I'm about to discuss with you in this office today, it could endanger someone's life. What I am about to tell you must not leave these walls. Do you understand."

The young man looked Prince John straight in the eye and told him, "I understand. I won't say anything."

"I have your word?"

"Yes."

Prince John then explained everything to Tony over the next several minutes, and when he was done, Tony was shocked to say the least.

"Let me see if I get this straight: Princess Anne never died?"

"No. Most people are unaware of this, but the Princess is very much alive."

"And she's been living in New York the past seventeen and a half years? In the Bronx?"

"That's correct."

"And if she publicly accepts her title on her eighteenth birthday, she has to get engaged as soon as possible because of your brother, Prince Edward, and you want me to think about marrying her?"

"That's the situation in a nutshell. No decision has to be made right this minute. But I have looked into you, into your background, incredibly thoroughly, and according to what my security team has learned about you, you appear to be a Godly, kindhearted, hardworking young man – exactly the kind of man I would want to see my daughter marry."

"Yeah, but don't you royals only marry other royals or nobles…or at the very least, people who are filthy rich? And how would the rest of your royal family feel about some black blood coming into the royal bloodline?" Tony's mother was a Pacific islander and his father was black, and both sides of Tony's family had lived in Momi for generations. Tony was six feet tall, taking after his dad who had been six-feet-two, and while his skin tone was darker, it wasn't as dark as his father's had been. He had a low-cut brown afro, warm chocolate eyes, and he was dressed in a very nice gray suit and blue tie.

"I only judge people by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin. As long as you are the kind of man who will do right by my daughter, I don't care if you're black, white, or turquoise. If this union goes forward, I know there will be others in the family who will not be pleased. We may also receive a lot of criticism in the press. Reporters can be pretty ruthless. But I don't care what others think. I just want to do what's best for my daughter and for my country. Because of our archaic laws, she cannot ascend the throne in my place unless she is married. And because of my ruthless brother, _she_ _must _be the one to rule after me. However, I won't marry my daughter off to just anyone. As a father, I must make certain that the man she marries will give her the love and devotion she deserves. That's what I care about, not skin color or royal titles. And I believe you could be the right man for my daughter. You work endless hours at the hospital doing the kind of work most people would balk at, and then you come home and take care of your eighty-year-old grandfather who suffers from dementia. It takes a very strong, special man to do the things you do every day. And it is going to take a very strong, special man to be the kind of husband my daughter is going to need in her life. Being the husband of a future ruler is a full-time job, Tony, and a lot of men couldn't handle it. But I believe you can. As I said earlier, no decisions have to be made right now. But I do hope that you will consider meeting my daughter in the near future and start getting to know her."

"If I did end up going through with this – and that's a big if – what would it mean for my grandpa and me? Would I have to give up my career?"

"As far as your grandfather is concerned, if you married into our family, I would make certain that he received the very best care possible. And as far as your career goes, unfortunately, yes, you would have to give it up. I wasn't kidding just now when I told you that being the husband of a princess would be a full-time job. If things did work out between you and my daughter and you got engaged, I would grant you a noble title of some kind, as she would not be allowed to marry an untitled man. Then after you got married, you would officially be made a duke, and you would be expected to make appearances at various charity events and participate in an endless number of royal functions. I won't try to tell you that it wouldn't be tedious. However, your most important job would be to give my daughter the emotional support she will need as she prepares to accept the responsibility of caring for the needs of seventy-one thousand people. And as trying as this kind of life can be, it doesn't come without its privileges. While you wouldn't be working as a nurse anymore, you would be able to use the power and prestige of your new position in the royal court to speak out about the issues that are most important to you, like our broken healthcare system, for example, that is in dire need of repair. You could use your position to help make a big difference for our entire country. You could help raise money for a wide variety of charities. I'm certain you've already made a difference in the lives of your patients as a nurse. If you ended up marrying my daughter, you could make a difference on a much bigger scale."

After a couple of moments of silence, Tony finally said, "Well, you've certainly given me a lot to think about, Your Highness."

"You should think about this very carefully. If you do eventually decide to marry my daughter, I can assure you, your life will never be the same. It will be a mind-boggling change from the life you're used to, and that's putting it mildly."

"What's the Princess like? I mean…what's she _really _like?"

"Well, she…to be perfectly honest, her personality is not at all what you would expect when you think of a princess. She's not delicate, like one would expect a princess to be. She's not always very ladylike. In fact, she's pretty tough. She's very blunt. She doesn't worry about hurting people's feelings; she just speaks the truth and tells people exactly what's on her mind, and lets the chips fall where they may. But there's a very sweet young girl hiding underneath that tough exterior of hers, and when that sensitive side of her comes out, it's most endearing."

"She sounds like a lovely person."

"I certainly think she is, although my opinion is hardly unbiased."

"I don't know how I feel about this whole arranged marriage thing yet, but I don't suppose there's any harm in meeting her and getting to know her a little."

"Wonderful. When is your next day off?"

"Tomorrow, actually."

"Why don't you come back here at noon? You two can get acquainted over lunch."

"I'll be here."

"Excellent."

The two men stood up then and shook hands, and then Prince John walked with Tony to the door of his office. Just as Prince John was about to say goodbye, though, both he and Tony heard a sudden commotion outside, and Prince John opened the door. In the following moments, they stood together in the doorway and watched an unfortunate scene play out.

Prince Edward had been away the past several months on one of his many vacations in Europe. No one had expected him to suddenly turn up back at the palace today – drunk nonetheless – but then again, his behavior had always been erratic and unpredictable. And barely two seconds after stumbling through the palace doors with several of his drunk buddies, he began harassing one of the maids – who just happened to be seven months pregnant. After bullying her for the next couple of minutes, even bringing her to tears, it was in that particular moment that Prince John opened his office door and saw what was going on, along with Tony. But just as the Prince was about to intervene, Jo came into the corridor with Grace, and she too saw what was going on.

"How did they ever let an ugly fatso like you on the palace staff?!" Prince Edward yelled at the maid in an obnoxious drunken slur, who had tears running down her cheeks.

"Hey!" Jo cried out, and then she purposefully put herself between Edward and the maid. "What's your problem?"

"What's _your _problem? Don't you know who I am? I am Prince Edward of Momi, and I will be treated with respect!"

"I don't give a rat's butt who you are! You have to _give _respect in order to get it. That's just basic common sense. It's _also _common sense that a prince ought to know better than to go around treating people like dirt, especially pregnant women."

"You don't like the way I'm treating her?" he asked, still slurring his words, all the while stumbling and struggling to maintain his balance.

"No, I don't."

"What are you going to do about it, you stupid little punk?!" he asked, and then he gave her a shove. Prince John, Tony, and the guards began approaching them then, all of them ready to step in. Jo, however, was about to prove that she was quite capable of taking care of herself.

With a wry smile, Jo responded, "I was hoping you'd ask me that."

In the next unforgettable instant, Jo punched her obese, drunk, pathetic excuse for an uncle so hard, everyone could _literally _hear his jaw crack! While Edward screamed in pain, Prince John ordered the guards to take him away to one of the guest suites, which they were more than happy to do.

After they hauled him off, it was just Jo, Prince John, Tony, and Grace standing together in the corridor, with a couple of guards standing around in the background. Once they stood there for several long seconds, Grace finally broke the silence and scolded Jo.

"Your Highness, a princess must never behave that way! A princess never, ever, _ever _resorts to violence," she complained.

"So in other words, you're saying that a princess tolerates fat drunk jerks and does nothing about it when a pregnant woman is being bullied? Maybe all your other princesses were like that, Grace, but I'm not. Besides, from what all I can tell about my dear uncle, I probably did the entire country of Momi a favor by breaking his jaw."

Tony audibly snickered then and struggled to keep a straight face. On the inside, he was absolutely cracking up.

"Anne, your lessons are finished for today," Prince John told her rather sternly. "Go to your room and wait for me there. We have much we need to discuss."

Jo walked off with one of the guards then, and after excusing herself, Grace left as well. When Prince John and Tony were alone (with the exception of the other guards, of course) Tony looked Prince John squarely in the eye and said with surprise, "_That's _the Princess?"

"That's the Princess," Prince John said quietly.

"I think I'm in love already!"


	4. Prince Edward's Return

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 4: Prince Edward's Return**

Although it was only a guest suite and not a suite for one of the royals, the place that had served as Jo's living quarters the past three and a half months was exquisite. When a person first walked inside, he would enter a tiny foyer and then a small sitting room, and finally, the bedchamber, which of course had an en suite bathroom attached. All the rooms of the suite were pained a simple sky blue, and all the floors had white carpeting, with the exception of the bathroom floor, of course. The walls were adorned with some incredible artwork as well as portraits of various Konopka royals throughout Momi's almost two hundred year history. There was a blue loveseat and television in the sitting room, with a light oak coffee table and matching end tables, and there was a giant bookcase on the wall behind the loveseat. On the other side of the room behind the television was a similar light oak desk with a navy blue leather desk chair where Jo always did her schoolwork from Eastland, as well as various homework assignments given to her by Andrew and Grace concerning their lessons about Momian government and high society.

As soon as Prince John sent Jo to her suite, she anxiously waited for her father, sitting on the loveseat with her arms folded across her chest, scowling. She could sense it that he was not pleased by what she'd just done to her uncle, and she just _knew _a lecture was coming. She could already hear Mrs. Garrett lecturing her inside her own mind about how wrong she was to resort to violence, and she was not looking forward to having to hear it from her father, too. And besides, no matter what either one of them might say, Jo knew she wasn't wrong for standing up to him after the way he was treating that poor maid.

When Jo finally heard the knock at her door she'd been waiting for, she let out a frustrated sigh, and then she got up and let him in. After following her to the sitting room, he sat down with her on the loveseat, and the discussion began.

"Jo, I want you to know that I understand why you did what you did. Your uncle's behavior was atrocious, and most unbefitting of a prince. After he shoved you, I understand that you must have felt physically threatened by him, and that you felt you needed to defend yourself."

"I sense a but coming up."

"But," Prince John said knowingly, "the guards and I would have been there in just a few more seconds, and if you would have allowed me, I personally would have dealt with the situation."

"Do you really believe I was wrong to take a stand and put a stop to him bullying that poor maid?"

"Of course not. You're absolutely right that a true princess must always fight for the rights of others. You did that today, and I'm proud of you. However, in this situation, your actions were most unwise. You know that your uncle has been in Europe until today. He left for Paris eight months ago. He's always doing things like that, leaving on the spur of the moment. Living like a teenage playboy. Having affairs. Getting drunk. Verbally and emotionally abusing all the people around him. It was my hope that he would remain in Europe until the announcement ceremony on your birthday was over and you had officially announced your decision to the press. With him coming back so suddenly, it…well, it makes things so much more complicated. So far, I've been successful in keeping your true identity a well-kept secret. Only a very select few in the palace are aware of who you really are. But now that you've actually dared to punch my brother and cut him down to size in front of others, he's going to want to know who you really are and why you're staying in the palace. He's going to want to know everything about you, and he's going to want to do everything in his power to hurt you. He's a bloodthirsty hound, and when you stood up to him and bruised his ego, you basically waved a thick, juicy stake in front of him, and now, he's going to go crazy trying to hunt you down. You weren't wrong to stand up for the maid, Jo. That's not the issue. It's just that you have got to learn to think, _really, really think_, before you act. You're an impatient soul, Jo, and you often act far too rashly. That's a weakness that men like Edward can and will exploit to hurt you. I know it's hard, especially for someone as young as you, but you simply must learn that every single action we take in the palace and in public is _constantly _being scrutinized by everyone, and if you act rashly, there could be severe consequences for you and for others. If you are going to live out your life as the Princess of Momi, then you must always remain aware of that fact."

Jo was not usually very receptive to criticism. For a long time, she'd suffered from a terrible guilt complex over her mother (supposedly) having to work so hard to put her through Eastland, and whenever someone criticized her, it often only made her feel worse about herself. When it came to adding to her inner burdens with guilt trips, Mrs. Garrett, who saw guilt as a terrific weapon that shouldn't be wasted, had _not _always been very helpful, although she did mean well. And when her journalism teacher, Mr. Gideon, had cruelly torn her down in front of the entire class and made her feel like crap after all her hard work, out of her hurt and anger, she'd retaliated with a damning story about him in the school newspaper, which had effectively ended his teaching career. Rather than even _trying _to understand both sides of the story, Mrs. Garrett heaped further criticism on Jo's shoulders and sided with Mr. Gideon, without also stopping to consider his own fatal flaws as a teacher. Now, Prince John was basically trying to teach Jo the same lesson about learning to truly think before she acted out, but this time, there was something very different. Yes, he _was _criticizing her actions, but in the _most _loving way possible. _He truly understood _why she acted the way she did, and even though it hadn't been the best course of action to take for obvious reasons, he didn't cut her down for it and heap loads of guilt and condemnation on her shoulders and make her great inner-burdens even heavier. He was making it crystal clear that he was only correcting her _out of his love for her and his great concern for her well-being. _He wasn't trying to tear her down and humiliate her and treat her like dirt as Gideon had done, and he wasn't overlooking what she was going through and ignoring her side of things as Mrs. Garrett had always done whenever Jo had problems with a parent or an adult. He was merely trying to correct behavior in her that could put her in danger, both now and in the future, and Jo could plainly see that, and that made all the difference.

After a long silence, Jo sighed and said, "I really blew it today, didn't I?"

Prince John gave her a kind smile. "You did what you felt in your own judgment to be the right thing. I can never blame you for that. You just have to learn to be a little more careful…and perhaps to control your temper a little better," he said teasingly, and then he playfully flicked her chin with his index finger, which got her to smile.

Another silence passed between them, until Prince John finally said with a sigh, "Ah, my dear Jo. You're so grown-up. You're such a fighter. I guess with your adoptive father gone for so many years and your adoptive mother having to work so hard, you were forced to grow up very early in your life, and you never really had much of a support system, at least until you started attending Eastland. But I'm here now, and I'm your father, and I love you. You don't have to fight all the battles on your own anymore, little warrior. It's time that you let yourself be the daughter and let me be the parent and the protector. You don't have to worry about Edward. _I _will deal with Edward. And if you see him again in the palace, I don't want you to say a word to him. I want you to let your guards deal with him, and I want you to get away as soon as possible and come find me. Understand?"

Jo nodded and answered, "I understand."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with some of the staff in my office. And as for you, I think it might be a good idea to get some work done on your latest lessons from Eastland."

"I will," Jo said quietly, and then they stood up and hugged. When the embrace ended, Prince John started walking out of the sitting room. Just before he left the room, though, Jo called, "Hey, Dad?"

He then turned around and said, "Yes, my dear?"

"I'm sorry if I made things more stressful for you."

He shook his head and assured her, "It's not your fault. Even if you hadn't been here when he returned, he would still have found a way to stir up trouble and make my life more difficult. That's just who he is."

Jo nodded once again, and then her father left, and she sat down at her desk and tried to force herself to focus on her studies.

* * *

Over the next three hours, Jo managed to get some work done despite how difficult it was for her to take her mind off what had happened with her uncle. It was seven o'clock in the evening when she got caught up on her schoolwork, and when she was done, she walked into the bedchamber of her suite and threw herself down on the queen-sized bed and let out a sad sigh. A few moments later, the phone on one of her nightstands rang, and she sat up on the side of her bed and answered it.

"Hello?" said Jo.

"Hello," a smooth male voice answered on the other end. "Is this Princess Anne?"

"Who's asking?"

"I'm sorry. I know we haven't officially met before. My name is Tony Daniels. I spoke with your father today."

It was then that it clicked in Jo's mind: Tony Daniels was a potential suitor for her.

"This has to do with the whole arranged marriage thing, doesn't it?" asked Jo.

"Yes ma'am, it does."

Jo chuckled a bit and said, "You don't have to call me ma'am. And even though my official name is Anne, I've been called Jo all my life, so I'd really prefer it if we could stick to that, at least in private, anyway."

"You got it, Jo. Anyway, your father gave me permission to call you. He asked me to come to the palace at noon tomorrow so we could have lunch together and start getting to know each other."

"Great. Maybe we'd actually better start getting to know each other now. I only have until my birthday in May to make up my mind about this princess deal, and if I decide to go through with it, I'm going to have to be engaged, like, ten seconds later."

"Yeah, you've got a good point. Well, there's not that much to know about me. Ever since I was five, I dreamed of becoming a doctor, but we didn't have enough money for me to go all the way through medical school, so I became a nurse instead. Three out of four of my grandparents were dead before I was born, and about a year after I graduated from college and started working at Lani General Hospital as a nurse, my parents were killed in a car accident. Ever since then, it's just been me and my Grandpa Daniels."

"You don't have any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope. I'm an only."

"I'm really sorry about your parents."

"Thank you. It wasn't easy, but I managed to move on with my life. At the end of the day, it's all you can do, right?"

"Right," Jo said quietly. Then a moment later, she said, "Since we're getting to know each other better, I don't guess you'll mind if I ask you how old you are."

"I'm twenty-four."

"So that means you've been a nurse for about three years. Do you like your work?"

"Absolutely. I was disappointed for a while that I wasn't able to become a doctor, but I think that in the end, it was all for the best. Doctors are always so busy at the hospital that they never really get a chance to sit down with patients and get to know them. They never get the chance to really be there for them emotionally, you know? And as a nurse, I get the opportunity to get involved in my patients' lives in ways that doctors can't. It's very satisfying."

"I think I know what you mean. I want to be there for others in my life too, especially kids. I grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood in the Bronx, and when my father left Ma and me, I started acting out, getting into trouble. I even joined a street gang for a little while, until my mother shipped me off to this all-girls boarding school in Peekskill. Well, _I thought _it was my mother's idea at the time, but now I know that it was actually my biological father, Prince John, who was behind it. And even though I hated being sent to Eastland at first, it actually ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to me. I started learning all kinds of interesting things. I had real friends in my life…a real family. And some of the faculty there made a tremendous difference in my life, especially Mrs. Garrett, the school dietician. That's why I've felt in the back of my mind for a long time now that maybe I wanted to be a teacher and have a chance to be there for some kids the way Mrs. Garrett and some of the teachers at Eastland have been there for me. But then last November, I met Prince John for the very first time and found out about this whole princess thing, and my world's been turned upside down."

"I'll bet it has been. But from what all I've seen of you, I'm pretty sure you can handle it."

"What are you talking about? You've never seen me before."

"Actually, I met with your father in his office this afternoon and we discussed the whole situation. And it was just as I was getting ready to leave that your uncle came into the palace and started making a scene. You didn't see me, you had your hands pretty full at the time, but I was there with your father when you punched the snot out of your uncle," he said with a hearty laugh.

"I suppose, as a princess, it wasn't exactly my finest moment," Jo said regretfully. "It seems that I've inadvertently made things more difficult around here, especially for my dad. Until today, Prince Edward had no idea that there was someone staying in the palace. He's just been off in Europe, doing his own thing. Now that I've shown him up in public, Dad says he'll stop at nothing to try to uncover the truth about who I really am, and if he discovers my actual identity, well…that could really mean bad news for me and my dad. As Dad told me earlier, I'm pretty impatient, and I tend to act out and lash out without really thinking about the possible consequences of my actions."

"Yeah, but you couldn't allow yourself and that pregnant woman to be bullied either. I mean, in the long run, yeah, it probably would have been best to let your father handle the situation, but I don't blame you for what you did. You were right to take a stand for the maid and for yourself. And speaking as a Momian citizen, I just want to say that I really like the idea of having our Princess be someone who isn't afraid to interfere and stand up to bullies when the occasion calls for it. I think it takes a very special young lady to do that. I don't want our next princess to be some pampered, delicate flower. I want her to be a princess who's got the courage to get in there and kick some butt when she has to." Jo laughed at that for a moment, and then Tony continued, "Don't feel bad about today, Jo. Maybe you did act a little rashly, but still, not everybody would have had the decency or the guts to step in and do something about the way Prince Edward was treating that maid. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks."

"It's just the truth."

"I can't believe it. I barely know you, and yet here I am spilling my guts to you."

"I think it's the nurse in me. In my profession, you have to have a good bedside manner. You have to know how to put people at ease and help them feel comfortable around you."

"I guess that explains it. Well anyway, I'm really looking forward to having lunch with you tomorrow afternoon."

"Me too. Something tells me I'm really going to enjoy getting to know you."

"Same here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be there. It's been great talking to you."

"It's been great talking to you too."

"Have a good night, Jo."

"You too. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Jo hung up the phone then, and she started really thinking about this Tony Daniels. As she just said, she barely knew him, but yet for some reason, it was nearly impossible not to like him. She obviously wasn't sure yet if he was husband material or not, but if he ended up being halfway as great as he sounded on the phone, there was some undeniable potential there.

But then again, she wasn't even sure yet if she was going to say yes to being a princess. Her whole life was moving in such a mad whirlwind; things were moving and changing in her life so incredibly fast, she hardly had a chance to breathe. She'd really gotten to know Prince John over these past few months, and she'd truly begun seeing him as the father she never had. He was a very good man, and she wanted to do right by him and by the Momian people. But she was terrified at the thought of having seventy-one thousand lives on her shoulders one day, not to mention having to rush to get married to someone she didn't know very well. Jo hadn't mentioned anything about her dilemma to Mrs. Garrett in her letters to her; this was something that had to be discussed in person. But as Jo laid back down on her bed, she couldn't help but ask herself the question, "What would Mrs. Garrett say if she were here?"

Jo then let out a frustrated sigh, closed her eyes, and tried not to think about the headache she felt coming on.


	5. Deliver Us from Evil

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 5: Deliver Us from Evil**

The following afternoon, lunch was served to Jo and Tony inside the sitting room of Jo's suite. Before he arrived, a small round table covered in exquisite white lace tablecloth was brought in, along with a couple of dining chairs. The moment Tony arrived and sat down across from Jo, a multi-course meal was served to them. As protocol dictated, two of Jo's guards remained stationed just outside in the foyer while she and her guest ate lunch together inside her suite.

After Tony was shown inside by one of the maids, Jo noticed that he was holding a sketchbook under his arm. When the maid left and the guards walked out into the foyer, Jo asked, "Are you an artist?" she asked, pointing to the sketchbook.

"Sort of. I just like to draw a little here and there. It's a hobby. I brought my sketchbook with me today because I wanted to give you something." He then took out the sketchbook, opened it, tore out his latest work, and handed it to Jo. "You remember me telling you yesterday how I liked having a princess who kicks butt?"

Jo looked at the sketch in that moment, and it was a picture of her and a picture of Prince Edward – and she had clearly just kicked his butt, and he was flying out of the palace! Underneath the picture, Tony had written the words, _Princess Kick-Butt_, which really made Jo laugh.

"This is really very good. You're a nurse. You're know all those big scientific medical terms. You're an artist who draws great sketches. Is there anything you can't do?" Jo asked as they sat down together.

"There's lots of stuff I can't do. I can't dance; I have two left feet. I can't sing. I can't fix a car."

"Well it's a good thing you know me, then. I happen to be a pretty good mechanic."

"Man! You're a beautiful princess. You're a straight-A student. You clearly know a lot about self-defense. You kick bullies' butts. And now you tell me you're a mechanic. Like I just said, is there anything _you _can't do?"

"Well, as long as we're being perfectly honest, I have two left feet, too," Jo kidded, and she and Tony laughed.

And the sound of their laughter didn't stop there. Jo and Tony talked and laughed together for several hours. From time to time, one of the guards would stick his head inside the sitting room for a brief instant to check and see how things were going. Today, Jo was wearing a mint green designer dress with matching dress shoes, and her makeup was done to perfection and her long brunette hair once again cascaded past her shoulders. Tony wore a black dress jacket with matching black pants, a white shirt, and a red tie, and together, they made a lovely couple.

At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Prince John came into the foyer to see how his daughter and Tony were getting along. A couple of moments after he entered, Jo and Tony burst out laughing.

"That's how it's been all afternoon, Your Serene Highness," one of the guards informed him.

"The Princess really seems to be hitting it off with Mr. Daniels," said the other guard.

"So I gather," Prince John said with a big smile. "Eliot, Nathan, please make sure that Princess Anne and Mr. Daniels are not disturbed for the rest of the day. I want them to spend as much time together as possible. It's most important that they get to know one another as much as they can."

"Yes, Your Highness," the two guards said simultaneously, and then Prince John left.

* * *

Jo and Tony spent the rest of the day together, just talking, laughing, and having a good time. Tony was a very sweet, laid-back, easygoing guy, and although Jo didn't typically let down her guard with people, it was easy to do so with Tony. He had an uncanny, natural talent at putting the people around him at ease, and in his new friendship with Jo, it really helped to break the ice. Prince John informed Andrew that his lessons with Jo for the afternoon were canceled, and he had supper for Jo and Tony sent to Jo's suite. Jo also allowed Tony to use the phone in her suite to call the lady who ordinarily stayed with Tony's grandfather, a sixty-year-old woman named Ruth, and ask her to stay longer with his grandfather that day, and she agreed. It wasn't until eight-thirty that evening that the couple finally said goodbye so that Tony could go home and relieve Ruth.

Jo and Tony spoke on the phone several times over the next three days, and then on the evening when they were supposed to meet each other again, this time for supper in the palace dining room, Tony called the palace with some bad news.

At ten minutes 'til six, Prince John knocked on Jo's door and she let him in. Moments later, he told her, "I'm sorry, dear, but Tony won't be able to have dinner with you tonight. His car won't start. I offered to have someone come over and take a look at it, but he insisted he didn't want any special privileges just because of his friendship with you. He said he was going to call the auto club and have them bring it into the nearest garage in the morning."

"Well I can go over to his place and fix it, Dad. You know I've worked as a mechanic before."

"That's a lovely thought, but I don't believe it would be wise to allow you to leave the palace."

"Why not?"

"Now that your uncle has returned from Europe, I fear it's highly likely that he'll try something. He's a dangerous man, Jo. And for the time being, I think you would be a lot safer here in the palace where I can keep my eye on you."

"Dad, it's been days since all that stuff happened between me and him."

"Between him and me," Prince John corrected her. Ever since Jo had moved into the palace last November, Prince John, Grace, and Andrew had gotten her to improve her grammar in conversation considerably, but every now and again, she slipped a little.

"Right. Anyway, don't you think that if something was going to go down, it would have happened by now?"

"You don't know your uncle. He can carry a grudge for an incredibly long time. I'm sorry dear, but I just don't think it's safe for you right now. You're staying here tonight, and that's final," Prince John claimed. However, it certainly was _not _final for Jo. She continued arguing with him for the next half-hour.

* * *

Two days earlier, Carl Ferguson, Prince Edward's personal assistant of many years, held a meeting with a few of the Prince's henchmen to discuss what had happened the day he returned to the palace from Europe. Prince Edward had just come home from the hospital after surgeons had done some reconstructive work on his jaw, and now he could barely speak. While Prince Edward was resting in his suite, Carl and four of the Prince's men met at his personal vacation home in the tiny seaside village of Kaimana.

With full-length windows behind them displaying the waves of the gorgeous blue-green sea crashing in the background, Carl and the men began discussing the situation.

"So tell us again what exactly happened to His Highness," said Will, a tall, very muscular blonde man in his late thirties.

Carl, a short, slim, brown-haired, brown-eyed man, looked up at the intimidating Will and answered, "When His Serene Highness returned to the palace from his vacation abroad, he got into an altercation with this young girl he had never seen before. According to palace rumors, His Highness was drunk, and he was harassing a pregnant maid when the girl intervened. It seems that she broke his jaw."

"It doesn't matter if he was drunk or not. He's still a prince," said Harry, a tall black man almost as muscular as Will. "You don't just punch somebody like Prince Edward in the jaw."

"Come on, Harry," said Eric, another one of the men who was tall and slim with black hair and blue eyes. "You know there have been plenty of times over the years when we all wanted to do the same thing."

"Well of course there have been," Harry responded, "but we all remembered who he was, and we restrained ourselves."

"I think we're all missing the point, here," said Carl.

"Then what is the point, Carl?" asked Will.

"Everyone knows that the Sovereign Prince has always been a loner. He almost never has guests in the palace. Now, all of the sudden, this young teenage girl named Anne just appears out of nowhere. Everyone is incredibly tight-lipped about her origins. It seems that the only thing the palace staff knows about her is that she is the daughter of a friend of Prince John's, and that for some reason, she is staying at the palace as a guest indefinitely. Doesn't that strike you all as a bit strange?"

"What are you getting at, Carl?" asked Eric.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that this girl's name just _happens_ to be Anne and that she just _happens _to be about seventeen years-old and that she just _happens _to look almost exactly like Prince John. When you guys broke past palace security along with Alice Kowalski's family members over seventeen years ago, _none _of you actually saw Princess Anne die. We know it was Alice's oldest brother, Jack, who smothered Prince Henry to death. You all witnessed that for yourselves. But then Prince John and the remaining palace guards beat their way into the nursery, and it was sheer chaos from that point forward, as you've all told me numerous times. According to your stories over the years, you all barely managed to escape with your lives. And according to various rumors, it came to a point that night where the only two men still conscious in the nursery were Prince John and Rod Kowalski, another one of Alice's brothers. Obviously, Rod didn't survive the confrontation, and Prince John did. All this time…all these years…we've always assumed that somehow, Rod Kowalski managed to grab the Princess and kill her before he was inevitably killed by Prince John. What if we were wrong? What if Princess Anne has actually been alive all this time?"

"But why would Prince John say his daughter was dead all these years if she really wasn't?" asked Arthur, another one of Prince Edward's henchmen who was about average height, with brown hair and brown eyes and was pretty slow.

"Think, you idiot!" Will snapped. "If he lied about Princess Anne's death and managed to secretly get her off the island, and if he found another family to raise her, like somewhere in America, it would be the perfect scheme to keep her safe – and more importantly, _alive _– until her eighteenth birthday."

"At which time, according to our customs, she would have her announcement ceremony, where she could publicly declare her intentions to become the next Sovereign Princess of Momi," Carl concluded.

"Aren't we forgetting one thing?" asked Harry.

"What thing is that?" Arthur questioned in return.

"In order for a princess to ascend the throne in this country and become the sovereign ruler, she must be married first. If Princess Anne really has been alive all these years, that would mean she's only seventeen right now. I highly doubt she's married," Harry pointed out.

"Alright, alright," said Carl. "Let's take this one step at a time. First, we need to ascertain the fate of the Princess, once and for all. We must determine for ourselves whether she is dead or alive."

"How do we do that?" Harry inquired.

"There's really only one way, and it ain't pretty," Will responded. "We'll just have to find a way to get past the guards at the Konopka Royal Cemetery, dig up Princess Anne's grave, open her casket, and see for ourselves."

"You're right. That ain't pretty," Arthur agreed.

"It doesn't matter if it's a pretty job or not," said Carl. "It's got to be done. I'll find a way to get rid of the guards at the palace cemetery tonight, and when that's done, it will be up to you to dig up Princess Anne's casket. After that's been taken care of, we'll go from there."

* * *

As it turned out, Carl's attempts at bribing the guards at the cemetery were in vain, and it was Will, Eric, Harry, and Arthur who managed to get rid of them by knocking them all unconscious (or so they thought.) After the guards were (supposedly) rendered unconscious, the foursome searched for Princess Anne's grave and started digging as Carl stood by and watched. Meanwhile, several feet away, one of the cemetery guards who had only pretended to be unconscious slowly crept away from the scene unnoticed and went to find Prince John.

About forty minutes later, as Prince Edward's henchmen were well on their way to digging up the Princess's grave, Prince John and his guards came onto the scene.

"What is going on here?!" he barked out in a very deep, authoritative voice that practically put the fear of God into all of them. "Just what do you animals think you're doing to my daughter's grave?!"

It was then that Carl, trying to feign a show of strength, dared to march up to Prince John and told him, "We want the truth, Your Highness. We want to know who that hoodlum girl is that put His Serene Highness, Prince Edward, into the hospital this week. We have reason to believe that that little punk is actually your daughter, and that you have been lying to us, to your brother, and to the Momian people for over seventeen years."

"If what you claim is true, Carl, then tell me: what would disappoint you the most? The fact that I lied to you for over seventeen years, or the fact that _you and your punks _were unsuccessful in committing murder?"

"I won't allow you to put that hooligan on the throne," Carl said icily. "She is no princess."

"And I suppose my brother, a drunk, abusive, irresponsible playboy, is your idea of a true prince? Or are you just backing him because he puts money in your pockets?"

"You won't get away with this. You've had your time on the throne. Now it's time for Prince Edward to rule."

"There's nothing _for _me _to_ 'get away with,' Carl, as I am doing nothing wrong. It is all of you who _literally_ got away with murder over seventeen years ago, along with the Kowalski brothers. I've always known that all of you were in on that together, Carl. _Always. _You won once before. You will not win again. Not this time." And with that, Prince John turned to the guard on his right and said, "George, you and your men round up these thugs and see to it that they're locked up in one of our sitting rooms until the authorities arrive, and make certain they are heavily guarded. I will personally see to it that they're put in jail for trespassing on royal property."

"Yes, Your Serene Highness," answered the guard, and then Carl and his band of thugs were rounded up by the palace guards and taken away.

* * *

After arguing with Prince John about it for a good while on the evening that she was supposed to have dinner with Tony, Jo eventually wore her father down, and he agreed to allow her to go to Tony's house to fix his car, although he insisted that she allow her personal team of guards to drive her there. Jo hated not being able to go on her own, but she understood her father's concern and relented. After her discussion with Prince John was over, she changed out of the designer red dress she'd been wearing that day into a sweatshirt and jeans, and she put her hair in a ponytail. When she left the palace with her team of guards that night, she was no longer in the role of Princess Anne. Once again, for the first time in months, she looked like who she really was inside: Jo Polniaczek.

During the first few moments of their drive, Jo and the guards had a little chitchat and all appeared to be well, but they could never have expected what happened next. It was already a very rainy night, and practically the instant the palace gates were opened, allowing them to drive out on the highway, they were almost run over by two cars that seemed to come out of nowhere. Paul, the tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed guard driving the car, managed to speed ahead of them and outrun them a good distance on the way to Tony's house. Unfortunately, the two black cars eventually caught up to their navy blue Rolls Royce, and once again, they started trying to force them off the road. Even though they were all pretty scared and shaken up, they were tough souls, and they managed to stay calm. The entire situation reminded Jo of a close call she had one time in the Bronx with some rival gang members when she was on her bike and they were similarly trying to force her off the road.

Jo, who was sitting in the back seat, tapped Paul on the shoulder and said, "Hey Paul, I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but I've kind of had some experience at this. One time back in my days in the Young Diablos, I was on my bike and some members of another gang tried to force me off the road, and as you can see, I managed to get myself out of that situation in one piece. Do you want me to climb up in the front seat with you and then switch places with you? I think I can handle this if I have to."

Paul knowingly laughed and responded, "That's quite alright, Your Highness. Just between you and me and Michael and Noah, in my teens, long before I joined Royal Security, let's just say that I acquired similar experience with a rival gang, myself. Relax, Princess. I've got this."

Jo laughed herself, and then she told him, "Whatever you say. You're the bodyguard."

Paul laughed once again to himself. He just _loved it _that this new princess he'd gotten to know over the past few months wasn't some fragile little damsel in distress; that she was so human and down to earth, she'd actually had similar experiences to his and had also grown up as a "bad kid" on the streets.

"Oh, and Princess?"

"Yeah?"

"For heaven's sake, _don't _unbuckle your seat belt until we get to Mr. Daniels's house. Not for _any _reason. You got that?"

"I got it," Jo assured him.

"Don't worry, Paul," said Michael, one of the other two guards who was sitting with her in the backseat. Like Paul, he was tall, muscular man, although he had brown hair and brown eyes. "We won't let her take it off."

"At least until we get there. If these idiots follow us all the way to Mr. Daniels's house, maybe then we can unbuckle her seatbelt and let her out of the car and let her break their jaws!" Noah, a tall man with red hair and green eyes teased, and then he, Michael, and Jo guffawed.

"Very funny, boys. Very funny," said Paul.

"Who's being funny?" asked Michael. "You know she's got the best right hook in Momi!"

"Yes, well, it's still our job to be the guards, fellas," Paul reminded them.

Before either Michael or Noah could respond with another joke, though, one of the two black cars that had been after them that evening started gaining some ground in the next lane once again, and soon, it had caught up to their Rolls Royce. In the next few terrifying seconds, it inched over closer and closer into their lane and it wasn't long before it was rubbing up against the Rolls, and it became considerably harder for Paul to keep them on the road.

But as scary as things already were for them that night, it soon became a whole other ballgame as one of the men in the black car lowered the passenger side window, pulled out a gun, and began firing at the Rolls Royce.

"**COVER THE PRINCESS!**" Paul yelled at the top of his lungs, and it was then that Michael instantly unbuckled Jo's seat belt and pulled her down to the floor of the Rolls and covered her body with his. Meanwhile, Noah moved over to the passenger's side of the backseat, lowered the window, pulled out his gun, and started firing at the black car, attempting to disable the man firing at them. Paul, too, pulled out his gun and actually managed to fire on the black car and continue to drive at the same time.

Jo had been through an awful lot in her young life, but never before had she experienced such a direct threat against her own life. She was scared right down to the bone, and knowing Jo Polniaczek, that was really saying a lot. She was _not _the kind of soul who got frightened easily, but tonight, she was terrified – so much so that she even started shaking as shots were firing and Paul was still struggling to keep them on the road.

"Our Father, who art in heaven," Jo whispered through her tears. "Hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Michael then began gently stroking her hair, and he whispered, "It's okay, Princess. It's okay. We're going to get you through this."

"Give us this day our daily bread," Jo continued as two more shots were fired. "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

It was then that the second black car finally caught up and hit them from behind. Paul and Noah swore, and Michael continued to cover Jo, and he held her body even more tightly to his.

"And lead us not into temptation," Jo continued in the shakiest whisper. "But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

In the next unforgettable instant, Paul lost control of the car and it finally went off the road.


	6. Confrontations

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 6: Confrontations**

When their car finally stopped moving, Noah looked into the front seat and saw that Paul was lying down. His head was in the passenger's seat, and it was bleeding.

"Hey Paul!" he cried out. "You with us, man?"

As Michael and Jo sat up in the back seat, Paul groaned, and he eventually answered, "Yeah, man. I'm still here." After slowly sitting up again, Paul asked, "Is the Princess alright?"

"I'm fine, Paul," Jo assured him.

"Well Princess Anne, it seems that that prayer worked after all and God did deliver us from evil. I may have lost control of the car, but at least we got away from those nutjobs for the time-being," said Paul.

"Listen, uh…we're almost at Tony's house, and I think it would be a good idea if you let me help you walk there, Paul. Tony's a registered nurse. He ought to have a look at your head."

"That's a good idea, Princess," Noah agreed. "In the meantime, Mike and I can keep a lookout here in case any of those crazies come around and try to pull another one of their stunts."

"Alright, but we'd better hurry, Princess," Paul told Jo. "I don't want you outside for too long. I don't want us running into them again."

"I'm from the Bronx, Paul. I know how to haul butt when I have to," Jo assured him.

"Okay then. Let's haul butt," said Paul.

"Right," Jo agreed, and then she got out of the car and opened the driver's door for Paul. Paul then grabbed an umbrella out of the glove compartment, and he got out and opened it so he and particularly Jo would be shielded from the rain.

With Paul's arm wrapped around Jo's shoulders, he leaned on her for support as they ran together to Tony's house. As soon as they got there, Jo banged on his door and yelled, "Tony! Tony, it's Jo! We need you!"

It wasn't long before Tony answered the door, still wearing the green scrubs and white tennis shoes he'd had on at work that day.

"I wanted to come over to fix your car, but on our way to your place, some maniacs came out of nowhere and tried to run us off the road," Jo quickly explained. "They even started shooting at us, and we lost control of the car and Paul hit his head on the dashboard pretty hard."

"Come in," he said instantly, and Jo helped Paul to the black leather couch in Tony's living room. All the walls of his entrance hall and living room were an eggshell white and were filled to the brim with pictures of Tony and his parents and grandparents. In Tony's living room sat his big black couch with two matching black leather living chairs on either side, and there was a glass coffee table in front of the couch as well as a simple gray rug. On both sides of the couch stood two matching glass end tables with a big black lamp on each table, and in front of the coffee table stood a small television set. A small stereo was in one corner of the living room, and several plants adorned the room as well.

After Tony got his black medical bag out of the hall closet, he came back into the living room and took out a light and started using it to help him look into Paul's eyes.

"What happened, Jo? You said some maniacs tried to run you guys off the road?"

"Yeah. And they were even shooting at us. It was unbelievable!"

"Paul, I'm going to get an ice pack for your head, alright?"

"Thanks," said Paul.

"While you're taking care of Paul, I ought to head back out there."

"You're going back out there after everything that just happened?" Tony asked with surprise. "Why?"

"Because my other guards, Michael and Noah, stayed behind in the car so that they could take care of those creeps in case they decided to come looking for us, and I can't just leave them behind in a situation like that. They're my friends. And besides, if they do come to the car, Michael and Noah will probably need a hand."

"Forget it, Your Highness. You are _not _going back out there," Paul told her curtly.

"I have to, Paul. I won't abandon them," Jo said stubbornly, and then she turned to Tony. "Please, just keep an eye on Paul for me. I'll be back."

"You can't go back out there, Princess," Tony tried to tell her, but the words were barely out of his mouth when both he and Tony heard the front door close.

* * *

Once Jo returned to the ditch where the Rolls Royce had ended up, the fight between her guards and the maniacs was already in full swing. It was two against eight; unfortunately, Michael and Noah were woefully outmatched. The eight guys from the two black cars had run out of ammo, as had Michael, Noah, and Paul, and now, it all boiled down to muscle and skill. So far, although Mike and Noah were doing their best, they were getting pummeled. They were each down on the ground, and the eight were taking their turns kicking them.

Without wasting an instant, Jo immediately grabbed one of them, a tall, muscular blonde, and looked into his brown eyes and said, "Hi. I don't believe I've properly introduced myself. I'm Jo Polniaczek!"

And without further ado, Jo, who was excellent at high kicks, gave him the hardest kick in the groin she could possibly muster, and down he went!

That distracted the others just enough to give Michael and Noah a chance to get back on their feet.

* * *

After Tony gave Paul the ice pack, he told him, "I think I'd better call you an ambulance. I'd give you a ride to the hospital myself, but as you already know, my car's not working right now."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I've been hit in the head before; I can take it. What you ought to do is get the cops out here and then call the palace. Princess Anne is really in danger."

"Take it easy, pal. Take it easy. Don't worry. I'll call you an ambulance and then I'll call the cops and the palace and let them know what's going on. The Princess will be alright. I've seen her in action before."

"Yeah, when it was her against a stupid fat slob. Prince John's brother would never have stood a chance against Princess Anne. But now, it's her and Michael and Noah against God knows how many professional hitmen out there. These guys are killers – _literally_."

"Just relax, alright? I'm going to go right now and make a couple of calls, and then I'll go out there and do what I can to help the Princess."

"You know something, Tony?"

"What's that?"

"You're a good guy."

"Well, I try to be," Tony responded, and then he went into the kitchen and started making calls.

* * *

By the time Tony went out to the Battle Royale that was taking place in the ditch near the Rolls Royce, Jo had managed to kick another of the eight hitmen in the groin and leave him lying on the wet ground vomiting. And while Michael and Noah were pinned against the Rolls and were still getting their lights punched out by four of the six who remained standing, one man was holding Jo and restraining her while the other one punched her in the face again and again.

It was right after he delivered his latest barrage of punches to Jo's face that Tony arrived, and when he got there, he immediately grabbed him.

"Hold him!" Jo told Tony, and Tony did as Jo asked and restrained him. Due to all the blows to the face and head that she'd suffered, she was dizzy and it was difficult for her to stand, but she actually used the fact that she was being restrained to her advantage. She allowed herself to lean back against the attacker who was holding her from behind and she used him to help her maintain her balance, and in the next moment, she delivered another brutal high kick to the groin of the attacker in front of her!

In that instant, Tony let go of him without hesitation and just let him land facedown on the wet ground in the rain.

"Three down, five to go," said Jo. Then the attacker who was still restraining her from behind – and did _not _like Jo's little comment – severely tightened the grip of his around her stomach, making it very difficult for her to breathe. It wasn't long before she could breathe easy again, though, because in the next couple of seconds, she delivered the hardest, sharpest kick she could muster to his right shin, and he instantly let her go to rub his leg. A split second later, Jo turned around, made a fist, and punched his jaw just as hard as she could. She didn't manage to break it as she'd broken Prince Edward's jaw, but she came very close. Thankfully, the blow was significant enough to knock him to the ground and put him out of commission. "Now, we're halfway there," Jo announced.

Tony looked straight into her green eyes then and asked, "Jo, did anybody ever tell you that you're amazing?"

"No."

"Well I'm saying it now. You are _amazing_, Jo Polniaczek."

"Thanks. Now will you come over here and help me deal with the rest of these idiots?"

Tony gave her a salute and responded, "Yes, ma'am!"

Jo stumbled over to the Rolls with Tony holding her arm, and while Tony grabbed the man punching Noah and knocked him to the ground with a very sharp blow to the head, Jo kicked Michael's attacker in the posterior, getting him to turn around and face her. In the next moment, she delivered two quick, hard kicks to each of his shins, bringing him to his knees. She then kicked him in the head with all her strength, and she successfully knocked him unconscious.

The last two who had been holding Noah and Michael had already let go of them, and when they started approaching Jo and Tony, the two guards gathered what was left of their strength, and they grabbed their attackers from behind. This gave Jo and Tony the final opportunity they needed to end the fight once and for all. With the last two men restrained by Michael and Noah, Jo delivered one final kick in the groin to Michael's attacker, and then Tony punched Noah's attacker as hard as he could and knocked him out.

When the last hitman fell to the ground, Jo and Tony just looked at each other for a moment and laughed in shock and disbelief, unable to really process what just happened.

* * *

When Jo woke up fourteen hours later, she was no longer in the rain but in a warm, comfortable hospital bed. Everything was blurry when she first opened her eyes, but as her vision cleared, she saw that not only did she have her own private hospital room; in fact, she had a luxurious suite that was fit for a princess. She was lying in a queen-sized hospital bed with an IV in her arm, and in front of her bed was a nice sitting area. There was big-screen TV with a red love seat, a mahogany coffee table, and two matching mahogany end tables with two maroon lamps on each one. There was also a maroon rug in front of the loveseat. To Jo's right was a wooden door that led to a large bathroom, and next to the nightstand on her right was a doorway that led to a dining room. There were two other wooden doors on the beige wall to Jo's right, one of which led to a large walk-in closet, and one which led to the white hospital corridor outside.

As Jo sat up in bed, Prince John, who had been standing off to the side, immediately walked up to her and put a loving hand on her shoulder.

"Easy, my dear," he said gently. "Take it easy. You had a very hard night last night."

"Where's Tony?" she asked. "And how did I end up here? The last thing I remember…I was standing with Tony in the rain after he and I knocked out the last of those guys."

"Almost immediately after that, you lost consciousness," Prince John explained. "You began to collapse, and Tony caught you and carried you into his house. As soon as the cops and the ambulance arrived, Paul insisted that the paramedics take you to the hospital instead of him. During the altercation with those men – if they can even be called that – you received numerous blows to the head, and as a result, you have a severe concussion. You've already had a CAT scan and an MRI, and thankfully, there's no bleeding in your brain. That was our biggest concern. Now, we're going to keep a very close eye on you here in the hospital for the next week."

"I have to be here for a whole week?"

"It's just a precaution. Your doctors just want to keep you under observation and let you rest for a few days while you recover."

"Who _were _those maniacs, Dad?"

"As of this very moment, they're prisoners, sitting in the penitentiary in Konani. It just took a little digging beneath the surface to discover that they were a group of hitmen hired by my brother to kill you."

"How's everybody else doing? How's Paul and Michael and Noah?"

"Paul suffered a concussion just as you did, but his was not nearly as severe as yours was. He'll be back on his feet again in a few days. Michael's and Noah's injuries were much worse. They suffered internal bleeding and they had to be operated on last night. However, their doctors have all assured me that the surgeons were able to repair all their injuries, and they're both expected to make a full recovery. It'll just take some time."

"Oh man," Jo sighed. "I feel so awful about all of this. Noah, Michael, and Paul were only in danger because of _me_; because those creeps your brother hired wanted _me_ dead. I was such an idiot not to listen to you and stay at the palace. But I never dreamed that something like this would happen."

"My sweet girl, you're often far too hard on yourself. You cannot and you must not blame yourself for this. Michael, Noah, and Paul all knew exactly what they were getting into when they signed on for this job. They knew perfectly well when they agreed to work for Momian Royal Security that there would be times when they would have to put their lives on the line to protect our family. And if those scumbags hadn't gone after you last night, they would have attempted to harm you some other night, or some other day. The only thing you're guilty of is wanting to go see a friend and do a favor for him. Everything else that happened to the guards and to you was my brother's fault, _not yours._ And I want you to know that I've spoken with Michael and Noah earlier this morning, and they have _both _told me that if _you _hadn't been there – if it hadn't been for _your _courage – they probably wouldn't have survived the ordeal. Michael, Noah, Paul, and Tony have all told me what you did last night; how incredible you were."

"It's not that big a deal. And besides, they were only in that fight in the first place because they were trying to protect me. It was the least I could do. And anyway, I'm glad Michael and Noah are going to be okay."

"Thanks to yours and Tony's efforts, they'll be fine after a little while. And speaking of Tony, I pulled some strings, and for the next week, you will be attended by your favorite nurse."

A big smile lit Jo's face then as she asked, "Really?"

Prince John returned the smile and told her, "Yes, really."

"Hey Dad?"

"Yes, Jo?"

"You didn't call Ma and Pop…or Mrs. G. and the girls, did you?"

"No. I felt that that matter should be left up to you."

"Thank you. I don't want to call any of them. I don't want them to know about this, at least not now. If Ma and Pop came out here and saw me in the hospital with a concussion, they'd fly off the handle, and they'd probably start yelling at you to let them take me back to New York. They'd be too emotional to think clearly. And for that matter, so would Mrs. Garrett and the girls."

"You know darling, if you wanted to just forget about everything, the crown, the arranged marriage, all of it, and go back home, I would understand and I would support you. I am always going to protect you to the best of my ability, but what happened last night proves that I cannot continually protect you from everything, much as I'd like to. I won't sugarcoat this, Jo. If you continue to stay here in Momi until your eighteenth birthday, and if you decide to accept your royal position then, your safety, _your life_, will _always_ be in danger. After what happened last night, I'm not sure if it's worth it anymore. I love my country, and I want to protect it from my brother, but what's just happened to you has made me realize that _nothing_, not even the fate of seventy-one thousand people, is more important to me than your life. Heck, I've sacrificed enough for this country over the years. I've done much more than my share. I shouldn't have to sacrifice a daughter, too."

"That won't happen," Jo assured him. "I'll be more careful from now on. I won't leave the palace again until we both feel it's safe. I won't stir up any more trouble, and I'll steer clear of your brother. I still don't know if I'm going to say yes to this or not, but you and I had a deal that I would come here for six months, and that by the time my eighteenth birthday came, I would make a decision. I started something last November when I first came here. And I'm not about to let some creep like Prince Edward, or his henchmen, stop me from finishing it. I've got to stay here until my eighteenth birthday. I've got to see this through. If I cave in to Prince Edward and tuck tail and run away to New York like a coward, his evil behavior will be rewarded, not challenged. You and I have got to get together and do something about this creep. You know that."

"Oh, believe me, I know," Prince John said quietly, and then he remained silent for the next minute or so, lost in thought. Finally, he looked at Jo and said, "I don't like it, but you're right. If you do go back to New York now, _we_ _will _be rewarding my brother's evil behavior." After quietly looking out the window another couple of moments, he turned to face Jo again and told her, "I'll only allow you to continue to stay here if you do exactly what you said you would do. No more leaving the palace until everything with Edward has been dealt with, and no more confrontations or altercations with him. You will avoid your uncle at all costs, and if the two of you run into each other in the palace and he begins harassing you, you will say nothing, and you will come and find me and let me deal with him. Is all of that understood?"

"It's understood, Dad," Jo replied. Then once again, silence filled the room for a little while as they both pondered the situation. Jo, who sensed what was up, looked at her father a few moments later and asked him, "You're going to confront your brother about all of this, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm going to confront him. Just as you confronted his henchmen last night," he solemnly replied.

Jo locked her eyes with his and told him, "Be careful."

"I will be," he said with a kind smile, and then he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Get some rest, my dear. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

"I love you, Jo," he whispered.

"I love you too, Dad," Jo said with a big grin, and then a few moments later, Prince John left.

* * *

At about one o'clock the next morning, as soon as Prince Edward _finally _returned to the palace from all his drinking and carousing, Prince John burst through the doors of his suite. Before his drunkard brother could really react, Prince John pushed him down on the floor and cut off his air supply by holding his arm down over his throat – all the while he purposely grinded his knee into his groin.

"I know almost half of Parliament backs you because you paid them off. If I could get you thrown in prison for the rest of your life for all hell you've done to my children and me without it dividing our country, I would have done that and probably a whole lot worse to you a long time ago. Now, I have just one thing to say to you," he told his brother as their eyes locked. "I know you want to fight my claim and my daughter's claim to our throne, and you can wage all the political battles in the press that you want. We'll still win. But if you _ever _even _think _of attempting to hurt my daughter again, I will personally kill you with my bare hands no matter how much it divides our government and our country. Do you understand me?"

While gagging and gasping for air, Prince Edward said nothing, and Prince John then pressed down on his brother's throat even harder.

"I said, _do you understand me_?"

"Yes," he gasped.

In the following moment, Prince John got up off him and walked out of his suite.


	7. I'm Yours

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 7: I'm Yours**

"Good news," said Jo a few days later, just after she and Tony sat down to breakfast together in her hospital suite. "Dr. Jonas says I can go home tomorrow."

"That's terrific," Tony said with a big smile. "I know how you've been looking forward to getting out of here."

"Yeah. It's so ironic. When I first came to the palace back in November, all I could think about was going back home to the Bronx. Now, I can't wait to get back to my dad and to my government and history lessons with Andrew, and even my royal etiquette lessons with Grace, as irritating as those are."

Tony laughed and said, "You've got this look in your eyes, Jo. Like you're ready for battle."

"I've been in a battle my whole life, Tony. I just didn't realize it until Dad came into my life and showed me the truth about who I really was."

"You've made up your mind about this princess thing, haven't you?"

After hesitating for several long moments, Jo finally answered, "When I first came to Momi, I was one hundred percent against it. My mind was made up that I was going back to my old life just as soon as I possibly could. Then when Dad and I started getting closer and he told me the truth about his brother and what would happen to the people of Momi if I renounced my title, I started leaning more towards staying. But what happened to us on the road a few days ago…it changed me, Tony. I mean, I always _mentally _understood the fact that life is fragile and that we're not promised tomorrow, but I'm not sure I ever _emotionally _understood it until my friends and I were almost killed. I don't know how to explain it. Something's just…changed inside me. I get it now. If this is the kind of person Prince Edward is, then _lives _are at stake. _Lives _depend on _me_; on what _I _do. If I turn down my title and turn around and go back to my old life in the Bronx and Prince Edward ascends the throne in my father's place someday, thousands of innocent people could suffer, even possibly _die _as a result of his selfish policies. If he gets the throne, he's not going to govern in a way that's going to help people, particularly the less fortunate. If he gets the throne, the only thing he's going to care about is lining his own pockets and the pockets of his friends. And if people get pulverized in the process, and they will, it won't matter to him. Dad told me a while back that it will be the most vulnerable people of Momi who will be crushed by Prince Edward if he's allowed on the throne, and that I will be the only thing that stands in his way."

"I think your father's right," Tony told Jo seriously.

"So do I," Jo agreed in the same solemn tone of voice. "I'm scared of all the responsibility. I'm scared of having seventy-one thousand people's lives on my shoulders. I'm scared of making a mistake and people getting hurt in the process. But even though I don't have any experience as a ruler, I'm still convinced that I'm a better option than someone who's mean-spirited and abusive like Prince Edward. He goes through his life hurting people on purpose, and he knows it and he doesn't care."

"You know that my Grandpa Daniels was a preacher before his dementia set in."

"Yeah. You've told me that before."

"Back when he still had his mental faculties, he used to go on for hours about how soon the return of Jesus Christ is. You know how it is. When most people hear someone, especially an older person, going on about the end times, we tend to tune them out and not take them seriously. After all, it's been almost two thousand years, right? And Jesus still hasn't come back for His Church. But even though I didn't always want to listen to my grandpa, I have to give him credit. He taught me well, despite my stubbornness. He talked about what a huge prophetic sign it was when the nation of Israel was re-established back in 1948. The Bible literally prophesied how the Jewish people would be scattered all over the world and then come back to Israel in the last days. The Bible even prophesied that the nation of Israel would be reborn in a single day, and in 1948, that's exactly what happened. Almost nobody really thinks about prophetic Biblical events like the rapture of the Church; the Church Age coming to an end and the seven-year tribulation beginning. People don't bother to read what God clearly says in His Word and they just go about their lives foolishly believing that they have forever, when nothing could be further from the truth. It's not a popular message, but the cold, hard truth is, Jesus really could come for us at any time. I don't think we have a lot of time left, especially since Israel became a nation again. And my point is, it's more important than ever that we make as big a difference as we possibly can in the little bit of time that we do still have on this earth. God created you for a reason, Jo. Just like Queen Esther, He put you here for such a time as this. God used Queen Esther to save countless lives back when she risked her life to appear before the King of Persia. He can use you today, mightily, if you let Him. If you _trust _Him."

"You know, ever since Pop abandoned Ma and me when I was younger, I've had some major trust issues. After that level of betrayal, it's pretty difficult for me to trust God and other people, even the people who I know care about me the most. It's an issue I've really been struggling with a lot, especially over the past few months. I know you know that back when my grandmother, Princess Alexandra II, was alive, she lived much of her life as a Catholic just like every previous monarch before her, but then she came to realize that Catholicism was preaching a false gospel and she and my grandfather left it. Deep down, I realized that for myself long before I came to Momi. As you know, I was raised a Catholic. But one day I realized that the only way a person can really be saved from the eternal penalty of their sins, a.k.a. hell, is by trusting in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. Not by doing penance. Not by praying the rosary. Not by anything other than trusting Christ. Every other false religious system, including Catholicism, involves trusting yourself and earning your way to heaven based on what _you _do. I don't like putting my trust in someone other than me, but I realized at some point that when it comes to earning or maintaining my salvation, _I can't _trust myself. I have to trust Jesus. He really is the only way to the Father, just like He said."

"I had to come to that same realization too."

"And now, God's calling me to trust Him again, isn't He?"

"Yes, Jo. I think He is. I really do. And I know it's scary, but like the Bible says, if God is for us, who can be against us? God knows what He's doing, Jo. Your coming here was not a mistake. _You _are not a mistake. Just like Queen Esther, God can use you to preserve an entire people, if you'll let Him." Tony then reached out, took Jo's hand in his, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, "Don't be afraid, Jo. Everything's going to be alright."

The instant Tony took her hand, Jo could've sworn she felt bolts of electricity shooting through her hand and up her arm. His touch was both soothing and exciting, and his warm brown eyes just sparkled with love. Looking into those eyes made Jo's heart start skipping beats. Suddenly, she couldn't resist the urge to just lean in and kiss him, and that's exactly what she did. When the long kiss finally ended, he gently caressed her cheek, and adrenaline flowed through her, and her heart pounded away in her chest. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

* * *

Around two weeks later on the eleventh of March, Jo knocked on her father's office door after she'd finished with her studies for the day. Prince John was speaking with a member of Parliament, but as soon as he saw his daughter, he motioned for her to come inside. Their conversation only lasted a couple of minutes more, and then they said goodbye and he left, and then Prince John joined his daughter on the couch.

"What is it, my dear?" he asked with a kind smile.

"There's a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about. A couple of _very important _things."

"I'm listening."

"It's about Tony. I've been doing some thinking, and I don't think it's right that you told him that you'd only provide top-notch medical care for Tony's grandfather if he'd agree to marry me. I think you should see to it that Mr. Daniels is well provided for, regardless of what happens between Tony and me. I mean, yes, Tony is doing a good job of caring for his grandfather, but I know you can give him the very best. And we both know Tony's a great guy. He _should _have the peace of mind of knowing that his grandfather's always going to receive the best care possible."

"You know something? You're right. I should help Tony's grandfather, even if things don't work out between the two of you. I'll take care of it right away."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome. Now what's the other important thing you wanted to discuss?"

"Well it kind of ties into the whole thing with Tony and his grandfather. I want Tony's grandfather to be taken care of even if the very worst possible thing happens between Tony and me – even if we get married but a few years down the line, something happens and we end up getting divorced."

"Rest assured, no matter what happens between you and Tony, I will always see to it that his grandfather is well cared for," said Prince John with a real glimmer of joy in his eyes, because he could sense what his daughter was going to tell him next.

"I appreciate that, Dad."

"Of course. It's only right."

"And as you may have guessed, the reason I'm bringing all of this up is because I've made a decision about whether or not to accept my royal title in May, and about Tony and me."

"And what is your decision?"

"I've done a lot of hard thinking about this – and praying – and I've decided that because of who I am, I have no choice. I have to accept my title when I have my announcement ceremony in two months. I can't let somebody like Edward destroy our country. And I've also thought and prayed long and hard about Tony. And even though this isn't happening the way I would have wanted it to, I know that Tony is exactly the kind of man I want to spend the rest of my life with. And I've decided that when we have dinner together tomorrow night, I'm going to ask him to marry me. "

"_You're _going to ask _him_?"

"I think that under the circumstances, it's only fair. I don't think I should say, 'Hey, Tony. I've decided that I do want to marry you after all and make you sacrifice your career and practically your whole life so you can spend every second of it being put under a microscope by the press while standing by my side and smiling pretty for the cameras. So get down on one knee and propose to me.' I figure, with all the sacrifices he'll be making for my sake, the least I can do is treat him to a romantic dinner and sweep him off his feet with a beautiful marriage proposal. And that's where I really need your help. I need a man's perspective on this. Just imagine for a moment that you were seeing someone and you wanted to get married, but for whatever reason, you couldn't propose and she had to be the one to do it. What could she do that would move you the most? How could she sweep you off your feet?"

"Well Jo, first of all, I want to say as both your father and the Sovereign Prince of Momi, I am so proud of you. I am acutely aware of the fact that I am asking you to make a lot of great sacrifices, and I know this is not easy. You're doing a very great thing for your people, Jo, and I can't thank you enough for having the courage to stand in your uncle's way and protect our country from him.

"Second of all, I want you to know that even though your royal position will require Tony to make sacrifices as well, marrying you is not a burden, Jo. It's a privilege. A tremendous privilege. You are a remarkable young lady. And if Tony agrees to the union, he is a very blessed and fortunate young man.

"And third, as far as the marriage proposal goes, just be yourself. Just look Tony in the eye and tell him everything that's in your heart. Tell him the truth. And then let him take it from there."

Jo smiled, kissed her father on the cheek, and said, "Thanks, Dad."

"You're more than welcome," he told her, and then Jo went to her suite and began planning for tomorrow night.

* * *

The following night, Jo and Tony were sitting together at a small table that had been prepared for them in her suite. They'd already had dinner, and now there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Jo was so nervous, and there was a palpable tension in the room.

"Jo, you've got something on your mind, don't you?" asked Tony.

"Yeah," Jo said seriously.

"What is it?"

"Tony, I know this whole arranged marriage thing is not an ideal situation for either of us. I know you must have dreamed that you would fall in love before you got married. That's the way I always imagined my life would turn out."

"I must say that all of this has really taken me by surprise."

"I know it has. It's taken me by surprise too. But even though it isn't what either one of us expected, I want you to know that I've really come to care for you over these past three weeks we've been seeing each other. I think you're a wonderful person, and I really do believe that if you and I work together, we can build a beautiful life with each other, and do great things for our country too. Maybe even the world. So what do you say? You want to get married and help me rock the world?"

With a great big smile lighting up his face, Tony took Jo's hand and told her truthfully, "I'd love to. I'm yours."

Jo smiled in return, and then they leaned across the table and gave one another a long, passionate kiss.


	8. Tony's Surprise

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 8: Tony's Surprise**

Jo had proposed to Tony on the night of the twelfth of March, which was a Saturday and the first day of the girls' spring break. From the twelfth to the twentieth of March, Blair, Natalie, and Tootie would be out of school. Prince John had promised Jo early on that he would allow her to return to New York during spring break to spend some time with her adoptive parents, and with Mrs. Garrett and the girls. And even though Jo did feel bad about leaving her new fiancé so soon after they got engaged, she knew this would be the only chance she'd get to spend any real, one-on-one time with her loved ones before her life changed forever in May. It was an opportunity she simply couldn't pass up, and thankfully, Tony understood. Jo left Momi (along with Grace and her security team) Sunday afternoon, and when they arrived in Manhattan nine hours later, they were met by Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek. Soon after their arrival, they all went back to Rose's apartment and passed out from jet lag.

Tootie, who lived in Washington, D.C., managed to convince her parents to let her stay with Natalie in New York City through Wednesday of that week so that she could spend a little time with Jo. Blair, of course, went to stay in her mother's mansion in the city for the first half of her spring break (although her mother was in the Bahamas and her father was in Japan and neither one of them had any intention of spending a moment with her.) That Monday morning, the four girls, Mrs. Polniaczek, and Grace all got together and spent time with one another in Manhattan (with Jo's security team discreetly following them unnoticed by everyone.) On Monday, they went to a couple of movies, and they went out to lunch and supper together. Tuesday, at Blair's insistence, they spent much of the day shopping at Bloomingdale's, although they did have a very nice time when they followed Tootie's suggestion later in the day and went to the park and had hot dogs together. Wednesday was Jo's day, and most of it was spent at a demolition derby. However, although she'd never come right out and admit it, even Blair had quite a lot of fun.

Then Thursday, things began to turn a little more serious when Blair left to spend the rest of her spring break in France, Tootie returned to Washington, D.C. to see her family, and Natalie and her parents left on a road trip to visit her grandmother, who was now living in Ft. Lauderdale. Jo was happy to see her adoptive mom and spend time with her, but it did make her sad when her friends left to spend the rest of their spring break with their families. She felt as though she'd hardly gotten to see them at all before their time together was over.

Jo remained with Mrs. Polniaczek in the Bronx Thursday and Friday, and then early Saturday morning, she took a train to Peekskill (again, with her security team discreetly following behind her.) Mrs. Garrett, who'd spent the week in Massachusetts with her son Raymond and his wife Doris, had returned Friday night to the Eastland campus. Jo had only the weekend to spend some quality time alone with Mrs. Garrett, who in many ways was much more of a mother to her than even Rose was, and she made sure to take full advantage of it. The girls would be returning to the Eastland campus that Sunday night, and Jo, her security team, and Grace would all be taking an early morning flight back to Momi on Monday, so her time with Mrs. Garrett was short.

When Jo arrived at Eastland that Saturday morning, Mrs. Garrett let out a joyful scream and threw her arms around her. Then she treated her to a big, delicious breakfast, and after they were done eating and cleaning up, things turned serious. Throughout the week, Jo had transitioned from living in the role of Princess Anne, with perfect hair and makeup and designer clothes, back to the Jo Polniaczek she'd always been. In her time with the girls, she'd worn her hair in a ponytail and sweatshirts and jeans and camouflage clothes and sneakers, and today was no different. Today, sitting across one of the small round tables in the Eastland cafeteria from Mrs. Garrett, her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing an oversized gray sweatshirt and her typical blue jeans and tennis shoes. But even though she _looked _like the exact same Jo Polniaczek from the Bronx that she'd been before she left months before, Mrs. Garrett could tell that in a number of ways, she really was different. Her posture had improved. Her English in everyday conversations had improved drastically. Her table manners were significantly more refined. But far more importantly, she could sense it that Jo, who'd always been wise beyond her years, had matured even more so since she'd left Peekskill last November. And she could easily tell that the young woman sitting in front of her had a lot of great burdens on her mind. After a little gentle prodding from Mrs. Garrett, Jo opened up to her and told her about everything that had happened to her in Momi. She told her about the terrible threat her uncle posed to the tiny nation, and she also explained about Momi's sexist laws forbidding an unmarried princess to ascend the throne. She then explained to Edna the obvious need for her to agree to an arranged marriage and formally announce her engagement almost immediately after she publicly accepted her royal title at her announcement ceremony, so that her uncle would not have an opportunity to challenge her right to rule in the future. She told her about that harrowing night on the road when her uncle's henchmen made an attempt on her life. Then, finally, she told her all about Tony.

"I'm scared to death, Mrs. G.," Jo told her honestly. "I don't think I've ever been this scared before in my entire life."

"I don't blame you. I'd certainly be scared if I were in your shoes. I can't believe you went through all of that. It terrifies me just thinking about it."

"Yeah, it was pretty petrifying, alright. But what happened to me that night was nothing in comparison to what's coming next. Imagine, _me_, being responsible for seventy-one thousand people."

"I can't even _begin _to imagine it, Jo."

"But no matter how scared I am, Mrs. Garrett, I've got to do it. With his heart being like it is, Dad can't stay on the throne forever. He's going to have to step down sometime to take care of his health. Dad told me himself that when he does eventually step down, my uncle will take the throne and as a result, thousands of people will suffer. And he told me that _I _am all that stands in his way. If I don't step up to the plate and take the throne when the time comes, thousands of people are going to get hurt or even worse. Tony says that he thinks God wants to use me to preserve the Momian people, just like He used Queen Esther to save the Jews in Persia. He says that like Queen Esther, I was born for such a time as this."

"He sounds like a very wise young man."

"He is," Jo said with a smile, and Edna smiled in return.

"You really like Tony, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. He's a beautiful person, Mrs. Garrett. He's smart and kind and patient and hardworking and funny. We haven't known each other long enough to really fall in love yet, but I know that I do like him and admire him, and that I'm glad to have him for a friend. I have a feeling that maybe we really can learn to love one another over time, like what happened with my biological parents."

"Maybe so," Mrs. Garrett said quietly.

"You sound doubtful, Mrs. Garrett. I remember how you reacted when Eddie and I almost eloped a couple of years ago. You don't think Tony and I can pull it off, do you? You don't think we can make our marriage work because we're so young."

"Oh Jo, believe me, I admire your courage and your great concern for your people. I think what you're doing is incredible, and you have my full support. Ordinarily, I'd never be on board with you getting married so young, but I do understand that these are special circumstances. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned, deeply concerned, because I am. I just don't want you to make these significant, life-changing decisions because you're being pressured into it all by others. If you're going to officially accept your royal title and marry Tony, don't do it for Prince John or anybody else. Do it for _you_. Do it because _you _truly want to spend your life protecting the Momian people as their princess."

Jo knowingly smiled and said, "This reminds me of what you said just before Eddie and I broke up. I changed so much when I started school here at Eastland. I learned so many new things. I grew. And because of that, Eddie and I just weren't on the same wavelength anymore. I just didn't have anything in common with Eddie anymore; I suddenly found I had so much more in common with some of the guys at Bates than I did with Eddie, and that really tore me up because I didn't want to break up with Eddie and hurt him. You told me that I was growing and my needs were changing, and that it was okay to be with the people who fulfilled my needs. And I complained about how selfish it all sounded, and then you said to me that I owed other people the very best of myself, and that if I didn't take care of myself, I wouldn't have anything left to give anyone else."

"That's right. You _have _to take care of yourself, Jo, precisely because you _do _owe other people the very best of yourself that you can give. If you're not in the best of health physically, psychologically, and spiritually, then there's no way you can really be there for anyone else, much less govern an entire country."

"I get what you're saying. And it's true that I have felt a lot of pressure from Grace and Andrew and particularly my dad to go through with this. But the truth is, I know that if I turned my back on the Momian people and allowed Prince Edward to ascend the throne one day, I'd never be able to forgive myself. _I need _to do this, Mrs. Garrett, and I need to do it for me just as much as I need to do it for the Momian people, because of who I am. Because of who God created me to be."

"I understand," said Mrs. Garrett, and then she reached out and took Jo's hand in her own and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Jo, you are an extraordinary young woman. And the people of Momi are very blessed to have you for their princess."

"Thank you, Mrs. G.," said Jo, clearly choked-up, and then they both got up from their seats and gave one another a long hug.

* * *

Later on that evening, Mrs. Garrett came into the girls' room and found Jo going through one of several suitcases she'd brought to Eastland.

"This is one thing about being a princess that really gets on my nerves, Mrs. G.," Jo complained while searching through a bunch of clothes in an open suitcase on her bed. "I told Grace I wanted to travel light. I also told her I was perfectly capable of packing my own suitcase for spring break. But Grace insisted on packing my things for me, and in her mind, she believes that because I'm a princess, that means that whenever I go somewhere, I need to haul more luggage with me than Blair does."

Mrs. Garrett laughed at that, and then she asked, "What are you looking for, Jo?"

"I asked Grace to pack a novel for me that I was in the middle of reading. I can't find which suitcase she put it in."

"Oh. I'll help you look."

"Thanks, Mrs. Garrett," said Jo, and then they both started digging through all the clothes in the suitcase.

A couple of moments later, Mrs. Garrett felt a box in the bottom of the suitcase, and she dug it out from underneath everything.

"Hey, what's this?" she asked while holding up a small box wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a white bow and a white envelope attached to it.

"I don't know," Jo replied truthfully, and then she took the box from Mrs. Garrett. In the next moment, they sat down on the side of Jo's bed together and Mrs. Garrett watched with great interest as Jo unwrapped the box and opened it. After she opened the box, she saw there was a smaller box inside – a black velvet box. She then opened that up, and when she did, she was too moved to speak for several moments.

"What is it, Jo?"

"It's a ring of some kind," Jo answered while showing it to Mrs. G. It was a simple but beautiful pearl ring on a rose gold band with two small round diamonds on either side.

"It's beautiful, Jo," said Mrs. Garrett.

"Yeah, it sure is," Jo agreed, and then she opened the envelope that had been attached to it and read the letter. When Jo was finished reading, tears filled her eyes.

When Mrs. Garrett saw that Jo was crying, she placed a loving hand on her arm and gently asked, "What is it, Jo?"

Jo then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and replied, "It's a special gift from Tony. It's an engagement ring, a Momian pearl engagement ring. It's been in Tony's family for generations. His father gave it to his mother when he proposed. Now Tony's giving it to me."

"Oh Jo, it's beautiful," said Mrs. G. as she took a good look at it. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," Jo said in an emotional whisper, and then she took it out of the box and slipped it on her left ring finger. "Tony said in his letter that he had it sized for me and everything. It fits perfectly."

"Looks like he thought of everything."

"He did," Jo said with a nod while she blushed, and it became quite clear to Mrs. Garrett in that moment that even though it was an arranged marriage, Jo really did have feelings for him, or at least the beginning of feelings for him. "He had Grace sneak it in my luggage just so I'd find it by surprise. I think it's the sweetest thing anybody's ever done for me."

Mrs. Garrett smiled and wrapped her arm around Jo's shoulders and said, "Tony sounds like a very caring and thoughtful young man, Jo, and I'm happy for you. You deserve the best. You really do."

Jo looked into Mrs. Garrett's eyes then, returned her smile, and told her simply, "Thanks, Mrs. G."

Mrs. Garrett then continued to help Jo look for the novel, and Jo finally found it a little bit later. Afterwards, Mrs. Garrett left the room. However, Jo had now lost all interest in the novel, and she found she couldn't stop staring at the engagement ring. Even though Jo always liked to act all tough on the outside, there really was a very sensitive girl on the inside, and it was that sweet, sensitive young girl that had to fight to keep from crying at the sight of Tony's precious gift.


	9. I'm Ready

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 9: I'm Ready**

While Jo was in New York visiting Mrs. Polniaczek and Mrs. Garrett and the girls, Tony, who was now officially considered a member of the Momian royal family, quit his job at the hospital and moved into his own suite in the palace, where he would stay until he and Jo were married. And as soon as Jo returned, the whole palace was engulfed in a whirlwind of activity. Prince John held a meeting with Jo, Tony, and Grace, and they all agreed that the wedding would take place on the twenty-fourth of November later on that year, which was the same day America would be celebrating Thanksgiving. It was also decided that on the twentieth of April, Prince John would hold a press conference in which he would reveal the truth about Jo to the Momian people. On the evening of Sunday, May the first, Jo would officially declare to the entire nation of Momi her intentions to take her place in the royal line of succession and rule as the Sovereign Princess of Momi when the time came in the future. On the ninth of May, Prince John would issue the letters patent officially naming Tony the Earl of Malana, and on the following day, their engagement would be announced to the press. On the day of their wedding, Tony would then become the Duke of Halia. As the next few weeks passed, Jo and Tony remained immersed in lessons of royal etiquette; they were also immersed in all the planning for their future public appearances together as an engaged royal couple. Jo and Tony and everybody in the palace was lost in a blur of activity in the time leading up to Prince John's press conference.

Finally, the twentieth of April arrived, and Prince John made his big announcement to the nation of Momi. Thankfully, the people's response to the news was overwhelmingly positive, and almost everyone was thrilled to know that Princess Anne was in fact still alive. Hardly any time at all passed before major news networks in America were also carrying the story. By the twenty-first of April, the entire world knew that Joanna Marie Polniaczek was really Princess Anne of Momi. And while most people were happy for this nice young kid from the Bronx who had won the royal lottery, there were three girls at Eastland who were _not _so pleased.

"I can't believe it, Mrs. Garrett!" Tootie complained as she and Natalie rushed into the cafeteria carrying a copy of _The New York Times._

"Can't believe what, Tootie?" asked a very calm Edna as she remained sitting at one of the empty cafeteria tables, keeping her cool.

"I can't believe Jo actually found out that she was born a princess and she didn't tell us!" Tootie fussed.

"I can't believe it either, Mrs. Garrett," said Natalie. "How could she keep something like this from us?"

Before Mrs. Garrett could respond, Blair suddenly came stumbling into the cafeteria in a daze.

"Blair, are you alright?" Mrs. Garrett asked her kindly.

After a long pause, Blair finally answered, "Life as we know it has come to an end. The sun may as well stop providing warmth. The moon and the stars may as well stop shining. We're in the Twilight Zone. Jo Polniaczek is a prin…a prin…a prin–"

"_Princess_, Blair," Tootie _loudly _interrupted. "Our Jo is a _princess._"

Blair then let out a loud, melodramatic whimper, and a moment later she plopped herself down at one of the empty tables and laid her head down.

Ignoring Blair's silly antics, Mrs. Garrett rose from her seat and told Natalie and Tootie, "Girls, you have to understand. It was terribly important that Jo and her biological father, Prince John, keep this under wraps for as long as possible. They had to be very cautious. It could have caused a lot of problems for them had any of this been leaked to the press during Jo's stay in Momi. Jo has really needed her privacy these past few months as she's been getting to know the Momian people and the Momian culture. Jo's had to do an awful lot of hard thinking. She's got an enormous decision to make on the first of May. And the last thing she needed all this time was intrusions from the press."

"I guess you're right, Mrs. Garrett," Natalie admitted.

"Yeah. I guess Jo really has needed her privacy these past few months," Tootie agreed.

"She certainly has," Mrs. Garrett concurred.

"It's so amazing, Mrs. Garrett," said Tootie. "Just think of it. Our Jo…_a princess_!"

Blair responded with another agonized whimper.

"Just think," said Natalie. "Our Jo…wearing a tiara!"

Blair let out an even louder whimper.

"Just think," Tootie continued. "Our Jo…living in a palace!"

Blair then let out her loudest whimper yet that day.

Mrs. Garrett, barely suppressing a laugh, walked over to where Blair was sitting and told her, "Oh, come on, Blair. Buck up. Finding out about Jo's royal heritage is not the worst thing in the world."

"Life as I know it is over," Blair said in a monotone. "The world as we know it has come to an end. Jo Polniaczek…a…a…"

"A princess!" Natalie and Tootie supplied.

Blair shuddered in that moment, and then she complained, "If I live to be three hundred, I'll _never _live this down!"

Blair then got up and walked off into the kitchen and upstairs to the girls' bedroom, still in a daze, and whimpering with every step.

* * *

Time flew by, and before everybody knew it, it was almost the first of May. Jo sent out a special invitation to her adoptive parents and to Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Natalie, and Tootie, asking them to come to Momi for the announcement ceremony. Prince John offered to fly them all out on the royal family's private airplane, and it was an offer they were thrilled to accept. Or rather, _almost _all of them were thrilled to accept Prince John's and Jo's invitation to come to Momi for the ceremony.

Ever since the truth came out about Jo's royal heritage, Blair had remained in a constant state of sulking, pouting, and jealousy. Mrs. Garrett tried to be as patient with her as possible, but on the night of the thirtieth of April, as Blair stubbornly remained stuck in Spoiled Brat Mode, Mrs. Garrett officially had enough. And that night, she went upstairs to the girls' room and had a stern talk with her.

After she knocked on the door and Blair let her inside, Mrs. Garrett said, "Blair, I want to have a word with you about Jo's announcement ceremony tomorrow night."

Blair responded by letting out her typical whining sigh.

"That right there," said Mrs. Garrett while pointing her index finger at Blair. "That attitude of yours is what I want to talk to you about. Blair, I know that like a lot of young girls, you have always dreamed of becoming a princess, and I know it hurts to see that happening to Jo instead of you. But this jealousy of yours has got to stop. Even though it's difficult for you, you've got to put all of this aside and be a source of support for Jo when she makes her official announcement to accept her place in the Momian royal line of succession tomorrow night."

"Jo already has everything," Blair petulantly complained. "A royal palace. A royal title. And I'm sure she's got plenty of friends and fans in Momi, and she's got you, Natalie, and Tootie too. I don't see why Princess Jo would need support from insignificant little me."

"Blair, you're not being fair. You know, there's a whole lot more to being a princess besides wearing fancy gowns, going to balls, wearing sparkling tiaras, marrying Prince Charming, and living happily ever after. There are a lot of real burdens that go along with a position like this. You've been doing a lot of complaining lately about how life as you know it is over. Well let me tell you something. As soon as Jo makes her announcement tomorrow night, life as she's always known it will _really _be over. She will never again have a moment of true privacy. The Momian press and the American press will constantly be putting her entire life under a microscope. The whole world will be watching and scrutinizing her every move every day for the rest of her life."

"Well if Jo doesn't want to put up with all of that, she should just reject her royal title tomorrow night," Blair childishly fussed.

"It's not that simple, Blair. Prince John's health is declining, and in a few years, he's going to need to step down for medical reasons. Prince John's younger brother, Prince Edward, is a dangerous and vicious man, and if Jo isn't there to ascend the throne in her biological father's place when the time comes, the crown will pass to Prince Edward. And if that happens, thousands of people are going to suffer. Just think of it, Blair. Having to accept responsibility for the lives of seventy-one thousand people. I can't imagine bearing a burden like that. Can you?"

After getting lost in thought for several long, silent moments, Blair finally admitted, "No. I can't."

"It's a deeply frightening situation, but it's something Jo is choosing to go into, because she's a very special young woman, filled with courage and integrity and compassion for others. She deserves your respect and your support, Blair. Not your jealousy and contempt. Now is not the time to get sidetracked by petty jealousy. Now is the time to be the caring, thoughtful, mature friend I know you can be, and to put Jo's needs ahead of your feelings. It may hurt you to see Jo getting the tiara instead of you. It may make you feel a little jealous. But now is the time to rise above all of that and be there for your friend."

A couple of moments later, Mrs. Garrett walking out the door, leaving Blair alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek and Mrs. Garrett and the girls arrived at the palace at about three-thirty on the afternoon of May first, but because Jo and Tony and everyone else in the palace was all so busy preparing for the ceremony that night, they didn't get a chance to see her. Finally, at six o'clock that evening, the occasion began with a special dinner in the royal dining room, and it was then that they all saw Jo, wearing a gorgeous lavender velvet evening gown with her lovely brunette hair cascading past her shoulders. To say the least, she looked absolutely gorgeous, and she took everybody's breath away, even Blair's. A number of Parliamentarians were there, along with diplomats from America and several other countries, and Jo and her fiancé, adoptive parents, and friends were truly stunned by it all.

At long last, the moment Prince John and Jo had been anticipating the past six months arrived. At seven-thirty that evening, Jo was standing before a podium in a special room inside the palace that had been set up for this very occasion. Hundreds of chairs before her were filled with her loved ones, reporters, politicians, and diplomats from all over the world, and there was a camera and a multitude of lights all fixed directly on Jo. Grace had written out a speech for Jo to read to the people who would become her subjects in the future, but Jo had looked over it and to be perfectly honest, she hated it. It sounded so stiff and forced and insincere. So, Jo made a spur-of-the moment decision. She made up her mind in those crucial moments that she would just speak the truth to the people of Momi and tell them what was in her heart, and let the chips fall where they may.

"For the first seventeen and a half years of my life, I grew up just a typical kid from the Bronx," she told everyone. "Like any other kid, I learned as I grew up. Sometimes, I did good. Sometimes, I got into trouble and I needed to be steered back into the right direction. And all I ever really wanted in life was to be a good person and make a difference in my small corner of the world. Then, all of the sudden, six months ago, I met my biological father, Prince John, for the very first time, and I learned the truth about who I really am and where I come from. I was angry at first. I felt I'd been lied to my whole life. But then when I came to Momi, something happened that I didn't expect. I fell in love with Momi's culture, and more importantly, with its people. I wasn't going to say yes to my title in the beginning. I didn't think I was cut out to be a princess, and I was scared. But I've come to realize that if you want to make a big, lasting difference in the world, you can't afford to let fear paralyze you. You have to be bold and take big steps in your life that you're afraid to take. The bottom line is, I love Momi, and I want to spend my life serving the people of Momi and making a difference. So, if you'll have me, then from this point on, I accept my royal position and my place in the Momian line of succession, and I choose to spend the rest of my life serving you as your Princess. Thank you."

The room instantly exploded in applause, and that didn't just happen in the palace. It happened in living rooms in front of television sets all over Momi. From that moment on, the people of Momi fell head over heels in love with their new young princess.

As the noise level continued to rise, Prince John came out with a sparkling silver tiara in his hands, and the cheering was almost loud enough to break glass as he proudly placed it on his daughter's head. The moment that Prince John officially crowned Jo the Princess of Momi for the world to see, Blair, Natalie, and Tootie all rushed to her side, followed by Mrs. Garrett, Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek, and Tony.

Everyone spent the next few minutes raving about how breathtaking Jo looked, and they congratulated her on being crowned the Princess of Momi. Or…well…_almost _everyone did. Blair remained perfectly silent and still as a statue.

"Blair," Mrs. Garrett said pointedly while her blue eyes bore into Blair's chestnut eyes. "Isn't there something _you _would like to say to Jo?"

After a long, hesitant pause, Blair finally did the right thing, and she swallowed her pride, walked up to Jo, and gave her a hug. She then told her sincerely, "I'm happy for you, Jo. Congratulations. I know you'll make a great princess."

Taken aback by Blair's unexpected show of support, Jo gave her a shocked smile and said, "Thanks, Blair."

Blair responded with a smile, and in the following moment, all the adults in the room were given glasses of champagne. Prince John then held up his glass and joyfully announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Her Serene Highness Anne Alexandra Rose, Princess of Momi!"

Once again, the room burst with cheers and applause.

* * *

Practically two seconds after Jo officially accepted her royal title and became the Princess of Momi, Prince Edward started making a fuss in the press. It didn't take him long to start griping and complaining to the media that because Jo wasn't married, she had no right to her place in the line of succession. Then on the ninth of May, as scheduled, Tony became an earl, and the next day, the palace announced the royal engagement of Princess Anne and the Earl of Malana.

As would be expected, Prince Edward tried his best to stir up as much animosity as he could towards the young royal couple. Prince Edward knew better to try and threaten Jo's life again after the physical confrontation that happened between him and his older brother, but he did attempt a number of tactics in the press in the hopes of turning the tide of public opinion against them. He particularly tried to incite hatred towards them on the basis of racial prejudice, given Tony's racially mixed background. However, it was a pretty stupid move on his part because even though such a ploy likely would have worked in America and other countries, in Momi, a large percentage of their population was racially mixed just as Tony was. Plus, Tony had just as much natural charisma as his young fiancée, and it was practically impossible for most Momians not to like him.

The ensuing months flew by in a flash, and before everybody knew it, it was the eve of the royal wedding. Naturally, both Jo and Tony had been incredibly busy that day with last-minute preparations for everything. It was also a busy time for Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek, Mrs. Garrett, and the girls as they all flew out to Momi to attend the wedding. Much to the girls' delight, Jo asked Natalie and Tootie to be her bridesmaids, and she even asked Blair to be her maid of honor at the wedding. Although Blair was still a little jealous of Jo's royal position deep down, being asked to be the maid of honor at the royal wedding of the Princess of Momi went a long way towards soothing her punctured ego.

At five-thirty on the evening before the wedding, Jo was taking a stroll through the palace gardens. Even though it was late November now, there were still a number of evergreen trees there, and the green scenery they provided as well as the beauty of the winter sunset in the sky above made Jo's already excited heart dance with joy inside. Obviously, she was very nervous about what was coming next in her life, but she was looking forward to it, too. Over the past few months, she and Tony had grown closer than ever, and she knew that Tony was everything a young woman could ever hope for in a husband. And Tony felt the same way about Jo. They had each come to truly love everything about one another. Although it hadn't happened the way either one of them had always planned, now, they genuinely were happy that they had ended up together.

As Jo strolled through the front garden that evening, suddenly, Tony came up behind her, planted a kiss on her cheek, and wrapped a coat around her shoulders to keep her warm.

"I think you forgot something," he said with that beautiful smile of his that never failed to warm Jo's heart.

"Thanks, honey," Jo responded with a mile-wide grin.

"Don't mention it. So, are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah," she admitted. She then patted her stomach and said, "The butterflies have already started. How about you?"

"Definitely. But you're not having second thoughts or anything, are you?"

They stopped walking then, and Jo looked up into the chocolate eyes she'd come to love so much, and she assured him, "Of course not. You?"

"Never," he whispered, and then he took her breath away with a long, passionate kiss. "Jo, I fell in love with you the instant you cracked your worthless uncle's jaw," he told her truthfully, and she laughed out loud.

"Over these past few months as I've really gotten to know you, I've fallen in love with you, too. I guess I just keep thinking about what happened with Ma and Pop. In the early years, they were so happy. They seemed to be so in love. But through the years, it all just…went to hell in a handbasket, and their marriage didn't survive. It's kind of hard not to be scared that that'll eventually happen to us, too."

"It won't, Jo. It's not going to happen to us. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because we're not going to let it. We're going to love each other and be there for each other every day, for the rest of our lives. And when things get tough, we're going to do everything we have to do to work through it. We are making our minds up right here, right now, that no matter what happens to us in life, we are _never _going to let each other go. That's my promise to you. Is it your promise to me?"

Jo looked up at Tony and smiled and told him, "You bet it is."

Again, they passionately kissed, and when the kiss finally ended, they clung to one another in the fiercest hug.

* * *

The next morning, Momi, America, and the world watched as the young royal couple that had captured everyone's hearts stood side by side in the palace chapel and became husband and wife. Blair, Natalie, and Tootie, all wearing lovely dark emerald dresses, were wiping tears from their eyes with one hand and holding onto their bouquets with the other as they all proceeded down the aisle. Then when Prince John escorted his beloved young princess down the aisle, everybody's heart stopped. Jo was wearing a long-sleeved white silk wedding gown with a very long train that was quite similar to the gown Princess Diana wore, and every person there was stunned at her incredible beauty. Jo's hair was down, and she wore a long veil that covered her face, but the veil in no way concealed just how gorgeous Jo looked. She'd also donned a very small, simple tiara for the occasion, and like everything else about Jo that day, it too took people's breath away. Mrs. Garrett's face filled with tears at the sight of Jo, _her Jo_, as a bride on her wedding day. Jo was the first of her girls to get married, and suddenly, it all made her feel very old. Mr. and Mrs. Polniaczek, both of whom were also constantly wiping tears from their eyes that special day, felt the same way Mrs. Garrett did.

The Princess of Momi and the new Duke of Halia delighted everyone's hearts when they had their first official dance together as husband and wife at their wedding reception. Then after meeting and greeting guests and partying with their friends and loved ones for hours on end, their wedding reception finally came to a close, and Jo said an emotional goodbye to her adoptive parents, Mrs. Garrett, and the girls.

Finally, when they were alone together in their new royal suite and they'd changed out of their wedding attire into something more suitable, they had a much-needed chance to just stop and catch their breath.

"So, are you ready to begin our honeymoon, taking the Grand Tour through Europe, my wife?" Tony asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yes, my husband," Jo replied with a smile. "I'm ready to begin our honeymoon in Europe."

He then asked her more seriously, "Are you ready to rock the world together?"

After a moment of contemplation, Jo looked at her new husband with fierce determination in her green eyes, and she told him honestly, "I'm ready."


End file.
